Navigating Butcher Boy Gluten Free with GFSavvyMama

Plus Two Easy Weeknight Dinners for Busy GF Families!

By Jamie Norris

Those of us who eat Gluten Free are on a constant mission to find new and improved GF products that allow us to avoid gluten while enjoying great tasting food! Did you know that Butcher Boy carries some amazing GF products? In addition to high-quality meats, fresh produce, and fine cheeses that are naturally gluten-free, Butcher Boy stocks quite a large selection of Gluten Free specialty items, many from small local companies, as well as some of the more recognizable mainstream GF brands.

You can shop Butcher Boy for GF Italian pastas, breads, artisan crackers, sauces & marinades, and some pretty decadent gluten-free desserts. Even some of Butcher Boy’s convenient prepared foods are Gluten Free**.

Here are some of GFSavvyMama’s favorite GF finds at Butcher Boy*:

Pasta

Butcher Boy has a great selection of GF pastas, both dried and fresh/frozen. You can find several brands of traditional dried GF pasta on the endcap of the mainstream pasta aisle. My family recently enjoyed the Rustichella D’Abruzzo Gluten Free Corn Spaghetti, imported from Italy and made from 100% organic corn. Bionaturae is another great Italian GF pasta brand, made from a blend of rice flour, potato & rice starches, and soy four. Try the Penne Rigate!

Check out the freezer case for these Pasta goodies:

Taste Republic: this gluten-free fresh pasta (yes I said FRESH!), is frozen to maintain freshness and cooks in 2-3 minutes!  Perfect for busy nights when you need food on the table fast. Both delicious and convenient. This is a staple in my freezer. Pasta Goddess (Nantucket, MA) GF Ravioli in Mushroom & Goat Cheese, Butternut Squash and Sei Fromaggi varieties.

Breads

In addition to Aleia’s (Branford, CT) bread and Udi’s tortillas, bagels, hot dog and burger buns (located in the freezer section), look for half loaves from Woburn-based Something Sweet Without Wheat (freezer) and Julie’s Z Breads (Ashland, MA) Gluten-Free Zucchini bread (located with the fresh bread in the bakery section). You can also find GF bread-based staples like gluten-free bread crumbs from Aleia’s and gluten-free Panko from Ian’s Natural Foods (Framingham, MA) in the packaged bread aisle, top shelf. Add the perfect crunch to your salads with Aleia’s GF Croutons – try the Parmesan flavor!

Crackers

Butcher Boy stocks several varieties of gluten-free crackers for your snacking and entertaining needs. My current favorite is Onesto Hand Crafted Crackers (West Newbury, MA), Everything flavor. These crackers are divine!  Perfectly crafted to hold up with your favorite toppings (no crumbling), crisp and savory enough to devour them plain.  The Rosemary and Sea Salt is also excellent. There are many gluten-free spreads and toppings available in-store. I like the Mt Vikos products which are 100% GF. Try the Kalamata Olive Spread paired with cheese on a crisp GF Cracker like Onesto.

More great GF Frozen Finds

Pineland Farms (New Gloucester, ME) GF Meatballs and Against The Grain (Brattleboro, VT) Three Cheese Pizza (gluten-free & grain-free). Choose from a full line of Bell & Evans Gluten-Free Chicken Products: Breaded Chicken Fingers, Nuggets, Patties, Cutlets, and Chicken Burgers.

Sauces, Marinades and Dressings

Gluten is often hidden in these types of products, but Butcher Boy carries many great Gluten-Free options. I love using a high-quality GF BBQ sauce (No HFCS), like Stubbs Original or Bone Suckin’ Sauce in GF Pulled BBQ Chicken and Pork, as a marinade for grilled chicken, or simply as a condiment. Have you tried Gotham Greens Dressing? This is so much more than a dressing and can be found in the fresh produce section above the lettuce. The Vegan Lemon Basil is my favorite! It’s a great marinade for grilled chicken and makes a zesty GF pasta salad!

Don’t Forget Dessert!

Butcher Boy does not skimp in the GF dessert department! Some of my family’s favorites are the Maine Pie Co (Biddeford, MA) gluten-free pies. The apple and wild blueberry pies taste like homemade. The dark chocolate tart is, well, you will just have to try it for yourself!

My Dad’s Cookies: Black & White, Linzer and Sprinkle cookie varieties will remind you of old fashioned NY bakery-style cookies. Perfect for any GF cookie platter or to pop in a lunch box.

Have you ever needed a small cake to accommodate a GF guest at a party or for your GF kiddo to take to a birthday party? Check out Sweet Sense (Plymouth, MA) Gluten Free Baked Goods. Butcher Boy stocks the Chocolate Obsession, Very Vanilla, Carrot Cake and Vegan Cupcakes in their refrigerated case beside the bakery counter. So good!

*Not an exhaustive list – there are plenty more gluten-free products available at Butcher Boy. Please check labels as ingredients may change.

Prepared Foods:

Most people that follow a Gluten-Free diet cook the majority of their meals at home. Finding Gluten Free prepared foods is a huge win and can provide a much-needed break from the kitchen! Butcher Boy now has signs posted in their cold prepared food cases that list Gluten Free** items. In addition, their hot, juicy Rotisserie Chickens are also GF – so many possibilities!

Need a GF meal that involves zero cooking for a busy weeknight?

No-Cook Summer BBQ: Pulled pork sliders with coleslaw and baked beans. Grab a container of Butcher Boy’s pulled pork. Warm it up and serve it over toasted Udi’s burger buns with a side of their housemade coleslaw and baked beans

Easy Fiesta Dinner: Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas.

Use a container of Butcher Boy pulled rotisserie chicken, shredded cheese, and Udi’s tortillas to make GF Chicken & Cheese quesadillas. Jazz them up a bit by adding pre-cut peppers & onions from the produce section (pan saute), ready-made guacamole, and one of the many available GF salsa brands available at Butcher Boy.

As you can see, Butcher Boy has a wide variety of Gluten-Free products for you to choose from. From easy meals to entertaining, they’ve got you covered.

**While they are not a dedicated Gluten-Free kitchen, Butcher Boy takes precautions to avoid cross-contamination.  If you have questions, be sure to ask a friendly associate for help.

Jamie Norris is the owner of GFSavvyMama, a Gluten-Free lifestyle blog, a personal Gluten-Free diet consultant, and Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, who inspires people to live their best GF Life. Follow Jamie at www.gfsavvymama.com or on Facebook and Instagram @gfsavvymama