I like man food.
Fortunately, so does Ree Drummond, the “Pioneer Woman.” Because Pioneer Woman recipes tend to be “man food,” I own three of Drummond’s cookbooks:
What do I mean by “man food?”
“Man food” items are savory, often slow-cooked, and never “low-cal.” Often, they are carnivorous. These recipes satisfy the palate and the growling tummy. They tell your family, “I love you!”
Because this weekend is Labor Day, I’m pretty sure most folks are grilling out and playing backyard volleyball, not reading blog posts. Therefore, I will leave this meal resource post for you to check out later.
My 20 favorite Pioneer Woman Recipes, with links. You’re welcome.
#20 (Honorable Mention) Pork Chops with Pineapple Fried Rice
I’ve got good news and bad news about this recipe. Heavens to Betsy, this rice is fantastic. And the pork chops are delicious as well. However, the labor required to prepare both is extensive enough that I won’t make this pairing more than once a year. That’s not to say you can’t, though.
#19 Greek Yogurt Pancakes
So you all know from this blog post, that I don’t eat a lot of gluten (ie. bread). However, because this recipe only calls for seven tablespoons of flour, I can still occasionally indulge in pancakes. Yay! For the record, these are about the lightest and fluffiest flapjacks I’ve ever eaten! Note: I often substitute a gluten-free flour mix for the all-purpose flour, like this brand, and no one’s the wiser.
#18 Huevos Rancheros
The beautiful photo in The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime was pretty much the reason why I first tried this recipe. For the record, this meal tasted as good as it looked! I used purchased enchilada sauce which made the prep super speedy!
#17 Frittata
I really wish Pioneer Woman would’ve been more creative in the naming of this dish. Oh, well… This egg-based entree is very tasty, a super “breakfast for supper” option.
#16 Mushroom Swiss Sliders with Spicy Fry Sauce
“Great” is what I penned in cursive under this recipe title. We all LOVED these loaded little burgers. Just about anything on tiny, golden King’s Hawaiian buns is super tasty. And there’s just something about eating miniature food that’s fun.
#15 Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce
In our family, we call this dish, “Pink Pasta.” This is a quick and delectable meatless entree, and with it’s blush-colored sauce, it’s pretty too. Serve this when your child is in a “vegetarian phase,” or when they bring home a date-mate who is.
#14 Hawaiian Burgers
Slices of pineapple, grilled, may very well explain why I love these burgers so much. Or maybe it’s the onion buns. Yes, I do still upon occasion, eat bread. See #16. The only problem with this recipe is getting your mouth open wide enough to take a bite.
#13 Tuna Noodle Casserole
Does that recipe title take you back to your childhood? It does me. Growing up, my mom’s recipe called for canned mushroom soup. I love that the Pioneer Woman developed a cooked-from-scratch work-around for this recipe.
#12 Restaurant-Style Salsa
Salsa is my spirit animal. Wait a minute, that doesn’t work. Do-over. Salsa is my elixir-of-life. There you go! This recipe has two benefits. First, it produces a vat of salsa. That’s a big plus in our salsa-gobbling household. Also beneficial is the fact that canned tomatoes, not fresh, are the base of this concoction. Know what that means? You can produce and consume homemade salsa year-round. Arriba!
#11 Pawhuska Cheesesteaks
Warning: If it’s against your religion to eat Velveeta cheese, skip to the next recipe. I, however, am not a legalistic eater. I eat whole and clean at least 80% of the time. The other 20% of the time I give myself grace. All this to say, if you see me at a potluck, you best stay out of my way.
#10 Shrimp Scampi
This recipe is seriously wonderful. Because it is so elegant—in taste and appearance—it’s a great choice for company, omnivores or pescatarians.
#9 Red Wine Pot Roast
This super savory pot roast recipe would also be great for company. I’m not sure if it’s the red wine or the orange marmalade that provides the “wow factor,” but this recipe is a keeper, for sure.
#8 Braised Beef Brisket
At Chez Tarantini, brisket is super beloved. As such, I have NO idea how I missed this recipe FOR YEARS in my copy of Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl. This recipe comes in handy when you need to feed a crowd. Or even a small number of people. With HUMONGOUS appetites. The flavor of this brisket is both mysterious and addicting. I blame the soy sauce.
#7 Chicken Tortilla Soup
You may want to wait for cooler temperatures to make this soup. Or not. Because it is so incredibly yum-yum-in-the-tum, maybe just jack up the air conditioner.
#6 Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe has the honor of being the very first Pioneer Woman item I ever made. Since then, I’ve baked these sweet spins several times. They are so, so good. As a tribute to my father, I follow PW’s variation #1 for this recipe by adding a TON of pecans. Which I toast. Because in my opinion, toasting makes any nut taste better. Also, since PW’s cinnamon roll recipe as printed, yields 40-50 rolls, I cut the recipe in half, then in half again. Otherwise I’d get hoarse from chanting, “Get behind me, Satan.”
#5 Basic Chicken Salad
Check out what I wrote about this recipe: “Ga-reat!!” Say that in a Tony the Frosted Flakes Tiger voice, please. I have always loved chicken salad—any how, any way—and this recipe is one of my all-time favorites. Because PW adds grapes. And toasted almonds. And dill. Oh, my! You can scoop this salad onto a bed of spring mix, or twirl it up in a wrap. My favorite vehicle is a croissant. Note: I‘m a slacker. I buy and grill boneless chicken breasts for this recipe. Instead of cooking and deboning and dicing chicken-on-the-bone.
#4 Drip Beef
People, people, people: Do your family a favor. Make this entree tonight. Or at the very latest, tomorrow. Drip Beef tastes so fantastic, it is the one recipe that consistently shows up on every Tarantini’s make-this-meal-during-my-birthday-week list. One night I took it to our home-group supper and the whole vat of it vanished within moments. Serving suggestion: Lay a piece of provolone cheese on the bun bottom and the bun top to prevent the bread from falling apart due to the delicious drippings.
#3 Spicy Pulled Pork
Do not fear the name!! “Spicy” doesn’t mean “spicy hot,” it means “well-seasoned deliciousness.” I love this meat so much!! Rolled up in a wrap with shredded Cheddar, salsa, and/or sour cream, this recipe has appeared on MY list of things-to-eat-during-MY-birthday-week for the past six years.
#2 Olive Cheese Bread
If you need to elevate a meal, this (recipe) is how you do it. Unless you are feeding anti-olive individuals. People like that should just stay home. Kidding! Maybe…This recipe blows me away every time I make it. The cool thing about the directions is, it makes two buttery, cheesy, olive-studded slabs—one for now, one for later. Trust me, it freezes fine. I could probably, maybe, eat the whole thing myself. Especially if I was breaking a multi-day fast. Hahaha!
#1 BBQ Jalapeno Poppers
Superbowl Sunday is my favorite Sunday of the year. Because of these poppers. Do not freak out and squeal, “I can’t do jalapeños! They’re too hot!” Chances are, if you remove the seeds and membranes, your tongue will not have a hissy fit. All it will recognize is the better-together combination of bacon and barbeque sauce. Serving Note: Our family LOVES Quaker Steak and Lube’s barbecue sauce, specifically, the “Original BBQ” flavor (If you live in Motown, Best Virginia, Giant Eagle stores carry QSL sauces. Hooray!). I know, I know, it probably has high fructose corn syrup, but situations like this call for culinary grace upon grace.
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What about you? If you are a fan of The Pioneer Woman, which PW recipes are your favorites?
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