There are tons of choices for GF products out there, so it’s a pretty good time to be Gluten-Free. However, the range of quality varies.
Over the last decade, I’ve tried all the GF brands and products I could get my hands on and I’ve certainly found some gems (and some to avoid:).
These are a few of my pantry staples:
Pastas
Ah, the illusive tender, not mushy, not sticky, not disintegrated gluten-free pasta. Pasta and bread have been the most challenging items for our family to agree upon, because we have some strong opinions. But these are our family’s favorite pastas:
Barilla Gluten-Free Pastas: This is a great everyday pasta. The rice and corn combination makes the pasta tender but not gummy. The trick is not to overcook it. If the box says 9-11 minutes, cook it no more than 9 minutes. Toss it with sauce or olive oil immediately after draining the pasta, so it will not stick together. For leftovers, you must add more sauce or olive oil as you warm it up, or it will be dry. If the pasta is plain (no sauce), I’ve found that tossing it in boiling water for one minute does the trick beautifully, but who has time to do that for leftovers?? This brand comes in a variety of shapes and is widely available. I’ve found it in Safeway, Target, Walmart, on Amazon, and in local grocers.
Jovial: This is one of the only GF bow tie pastas I’ve found. And it’s great, assuming you do not over cook it! (Again, that’s the secret to great pasta!) It’s super tender and maintains the al dente texture. It’s a favorite for making carbonara, primavera, or Italian Sausage Pasta. The Jovial egg noodles are also delicious, and probably have the closest texture to wheat egg noodles that I’ve found. They work really well in my Beef and Noodles recipe, and even cooked well in the slow cooker. This brand is not as widely available but I have found it at Whole Foods and some smaller local grocers.
Broth Base
I utilize these so often in my recipes. Perfect for soups, stews, sauces, pastas, and marinades. They pack a ton of flavor in a spoonful.
I prefer them to cans of broth or stock because they are small and take up less space in my refrigerator. I also have a problem buying broth. To me, store-bought broth has little flavor, but these bouillons definitely do.
Better Than Bouillon– I should probably become a brand ambassador because I use this so much! But it’s great and most varieties are gluten free. If you are sensitive to maltodextrin (a sugar derived from wheat or corn that is often used in sauces, condiments, candies, etc), you are limited to a few of the flavors. And the reduced sodium versions have barley malt extract, so be sure to check the label for your particular allergens (as if I have to tell that to you:) I regularly use their roasted beef, roasted chicken, and vegetable base. I love the chipotle one, but it’s too spicy for my kids. I describe how to use it in many of my recipes, but essentially, adding a teaspoon plus one cup of water replaces 8 oz of broth. The directions say to mix it into boiling water, but I usually just stir it into the soup/sauce/stew itself.
GF Flour
There are so many different brands and many of them are very good! I often make my own flour blends for specific baked goods, like pie crust, biscuits, yeast breads (and I’ll share my recipes soon!) but for everyday baking, this one’s my go-to.
King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour For everyday baking, cookies, quick breads, cakes, brownies, I like to use this King Arthur’s Measure for Measure flour. I like the blend of flours because they are not too dense or gritty. The sorghum flour adds tenderness to the baked goods and it has a fairly high amount of starch (potato and tapioca) that keeps things light and fluffy. It’s widely available in stores like Target and online and it’s quality is consistent. They also are very helpful if you ever reach out to them with questions or concerns. They actually seemed to really know their way around the kitchen when I talked to them about some recipe substitutions!
I hope you’ve found these items helpful. I’ll share more of my favorites in my next newsletter with new recipes, meal plans, and helpful tips.
