Now at the end of December, Ree herself is ready for those end-of-year feasts: "It seems like this has been a particularly long year for everyone and I'm thinking this holiday season might be just the reset we all need. I'm ready!" To inspire you, we've rounded up the top 10 Pioneer Woman recipes of 2024. These are the dishes that PW readers loved the most: baked pastas, easy casseroles, and classic comfort foods that double as favorite Drummond family meals. Many of them are well loved at this point, but there's at least one surprise—a recipe trumped the all-mighty turkey brine this year!
So without further do, browse the best Pioneer Woman recipes of 2024—and chime in with your favorite in the comments!
10
Chicken Pot Pie
Hector Manuel Sanchez
This is one of Ree's top 10 favorite recipes of all time, and it proves to be a favorite among PW readers. "I've used homemade crusts and store-bought crusts... it's the filling I love!" she says, adding that you can substitute the meat for leftover turkey.
This sticky-sweet mountain of biscuits is in Ree's words, "absolutely, positively ridonkulous" in a good way. Her friend Ryan first taught her how to make it and it's quickly become a favorite dessert of PW readers.
Of all her soup recipes, this one's consistently made the top 10 list year after year. "I am madly in love with this soup!" she says. "Leave it chunky or puree it smooth." Top each bowl with a sprinkling of bacon and shredded cheese.
For mac and cheese, Ree uses one glorious pound of freshly grated cheese in a mix of varieties: colby, fontina, cheddar, or pepper jack. "I've made this scrumptious standby for years and years! It never gets old," she says.
Butter, butter, and more butter is the motto behind this side dish! Of course, the addition of cream cheese, half-and-half, and seasoning salt don't hurt the texture either. Add Ree's favorite mix-in: mashed roasted garlic cloves.
This year, PW readers were scooping up these baked beans for the Fourth of July, Labor Day, and every summer cookout in between. Take it from Ree herself: "These are the best baked beans in the county. The world. The universe!"
Ree's chicken spaghetti is a classic comfort food in the Drummond household—and among PW readers. She says: "Our cowboys love this dish. Marlboro Man loves this dish. My kids love this dish. Therefore, I love this dish."
Ree has relied on this recipe even before it first appeared on the first season of The Pioneer Woman. "If you have a hard time making a fall-apart tender pot roast, read every word of this post," she suggests. "I still meet folks who thank me for finally cracking their pot roast code! And nothing makes me happier."
Ree's go-to cooking method for Thanksgiving involves this tried-and-true turkey brine recipe. "My favorite ever!" she gushes. "It'll make your turkey so juicy and tasty." As a top recipe every year, PW readers will attest to the fact!
Drum roll please: The #1 recipe of Ree's this year was this humble side dish: roasted asparagus. "A huge platter of this is a beautiful, delicious addition to any dinner table," she says. "It's the stuff that vegetable-related dreams are made of."