Gluten-Free Recipes That Actually Taste Good

Figuring out what to cook is hard enough for most people, but what if you're one of more than 2 million Americans who live with celiac disease? The possibilities may seem even more limited.

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And chances are, you aren't just cooking for yourself — you're cooking for friends and family, too. That's why we've put together a list of 20 celiac-friendly recipes from a few people who have been living with the disease and cooking gluten-free successfully not only for themselves, but also for others who might not necessarily need to eat gluten-free.

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So the recipes we've compiled here aren't just gluten-free versions of foods on the "don't touch" list, like pizza, pasta, and sandwiches (which generally require some sort of wheat product). Instead, these recipes take a ground-up approach, meaning instead of replacing the problem ingredient — wheat, rye, or barley product — with some obscure substitute, which sometimes leads to less than stellar results (ever had slimy gluten-free bread before?), these recipes start with ingredients that already happen to be gluten-free. And what we discovered is that not only are there more possibilities than you'd expect, but that cooking gluten-free can be delicious.

Elana Amsterdam is the author of The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook and the blog Elana's Pantry. When she and her son were diagnosed with celiac disease, she had to come up with a whole new way of cooking that would conform to their new dietary restrictions, but still keep her husband happy.

Amie Valpone is a frequent contributor to The Daily Meal and the author of the blog The Healthy Apple. Valpone runs a successful consulting practice and is a personal chef specializing in gluten-free cooking and clean eating. Valpone switched to a gluten-free diet free of processed foods after suffering from chronic pain for many years. She has trained at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in Manhattan. Her advice has appeared in numerous well-known media outlets, including Food Network, The Huffington Post, Martha Stewart Whole Living, Martha Stewart Radio, and WebMD.

And last, but not least, Karina Allrich is the Gluten-Free Goddess. Her blog focuses on using fresh, seasonal ingredients, and she also features vegan and vegetarian recipes in addition to gluten-free dishes.

Their recipes are great for sharing with other people who don't have to eat gluten-free, too — after all, eating should be about communion with friends and family. We bet they won't even notice unless you tell them.

Will Budiaman is the Recipe Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow him on Twitter @WillBudiaman.