gluten-freelicious

Gluten Free Pantry Favorite Sandwich Bread

Finally!  A bread that is not completely inedible or just “okay for gluten-free,” but actually tastes good in its own right.  Woohoo!  Gluten-Free Pantry Favorite Sandwich Bread Mix makes our favorite sandwich bread.

After trying several loaves of store-bought gluten-free cardboard…I mean, bread…I gave up.  I decided “gluten-free bread” was some sort of oxymoron, clearly not meant to be.  Reviewers of various breads suggested toasting or a good slathering in peanut butter.  We weren’t that desperate.  I mean, I could toast my shoe and paste it with peanut butter, too…but I’m not going to.

Surprisingly, we didn’t really miss bread…not too much, anyway.  We made ham and cheese rolls and lettuce wraps.  They were pretty tasty and easy to make.  We served hotdogs and hamburgers with all the condiments, minus the buns.  Peanut butter was reserved for apples, or a sneaky spoonful when no one was looking.  We battled the occasional craving for the likes of homemade hot ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches, but, all in all, we survived bread’s absence relatively pain-free.

As my son nears Kindergarten, however, I enter a heightened state of panic.  It stresses me out.  I mean, for one thing, one can only eat so many ham and cheese rolls.  At home, we add variety with gluten-free hot foods, like Annie’s mac and cheese or Bell and Evans chicken nuggets.  I’m guessing no one will offer to reheat my son’s lunches at public school…so what will he eat?  The boy needs to be able to eat a sandwich!  My husband tried to point out that our son won’t eat lunch in school until first grade, a good two years from now, but this point fell on deaf ears.  I was a mom on a mission, and we needed gluten-free bread, like, yesterday.

Unwilling to sample another store-bought loaf, I started researching bread machines.  My good friend sent me a link to a review of the Breadman Breadmaker on Karina’s Kitchen.  I immediately ordered it, and thus began my search for a gluten-freelicious bread mix.  (Surely you didn’t think I’d attempt to make bread completely from scratch?!)

Roaring Good Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Gluten-Free Pantry Favorite Sandwich Bread Mix is the best of the bread mixes we’ve tried to date.  I follow the directions on the package, using milk and butter, instead of water and oil.  The bread is a bit delicate when warm, but, oh so good!  (Most say wait until it cools to slice, but I say, “Slice carefully!”)  It’s dense, as most gluten-free breads are, and yet somehow light at the same time, with a mild buttery flavor.  It’s perfect for sandwiches.  When a friend stayed for lunch the other day, I used fresh Gluten-Free Pantry bread to make grilled cheese sandwiches for my boys and her two girls.  The kids scarfed them down within minutes, and our kids rarely make happy plates!  I was especially thrilled when my friend, whom I’ve never known to sugarcoat her opinion of food, said, “Mmm, this is really good!  It’s so fluffy!  It tastes like something out of a restaurant.”  Gluten-free grilled cheese in a restaurant?  If only.

I highly recommend this bread mix.  It even makes an excellent pizza crust!

"American" z pizza

Yummy in my tummy!  Z pizza’s gluten-free crust is pretty tasty, and the pizza topping “creations” rock!

Pizza is one of those things I thought we’d never eat out again, and, oh, how it depressed me.  Stuffing myself at Pizza Hut is a fond childhood memory, and it pained me to think I might not get to share that experience with my own children.  I get teary just thinking about it.  Sniff.

So, when I first learned that several restaurants are now offering gluten-free pizzas, I thought I’d jump out of my pants; I was so excited!  Too soon, my hopes were dashed, and our experience at Uno Chicago Grill taught me to lower my expectations for any future gluten-free pizza adventures.  Still, when Kim suggested z pizza, I was thrilled to find out we have several in our area and incredibly anxious to get to one and try it out!

I thoroughly enjoyed our gluten-free dinner at z pizza.  We ordered three creations: Napoli, Thai, and American.  They were all excellent.  The gluten-free crust is simple: light, thin, buttery, and crisp.  The toppings are fresh, flavorful, and plentiful.  I was surprised how much I loved the Napoli, topped only with cheese, tomatoes, and fresh basil.  I rarely cook with fresh herbs (you know, not really being the chef-type), but, WOW, fresh basil is sooo good!!  The Thai pizza was delicious, with spicy chicken and yummy peanut sauce; it had just the right amount of kick.  The American was, well, American…big chunks of sausage, fresh peppers…not quite as exciting as the other two, but still very good.  Z pizzas are light on crust, sauce, and cheese, but packed with flavor.  They are definitely gluten-freelicious.

So, z pizza gets two thumbs up.  I am, however, still on the lookout for a greasy deep dish or New York style gluten-free pizza, loaded with sauce and cheese.  Is it out there?  Is it even possible?