Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman, has charmed home cooks for years with her approachable recipes and heartwarming storytelling. Her cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays, is a delightful journey through twelve months of celebrations, offering a treasure trove of recipes, decorating ideas, and tips to make every holiday special. Originally featured with a giveaway for lucky winners Adrienne, Heather, Wanda, Mary-Jo, and Kiki, this book continues to be a go-to guide for creating memorable holiday meals.
Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays Book Cover Featuring Ree Drummond in a Kitchen Setting
The author of the original blog post playfully mentions being the inspiration behind this holiday-themed cookbook, reminiscing about a conversation with Ree over coffee or wine. This personal touch reflects the warm and inviting nature of Ree’s books, which resonate with readers on a personal level. The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays is structured chronologically, starting with New Year’s Day and ending with New Year’s Eve, ensuring that you’re prepared for every festive occasion in between. It’s packed with recipes that are both desirable and achievable, presented in a way that makes holiday cooking feel less like a chore and more like a joyful tradition.
Flipping through the pages of The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays reveals a wealth of tempting dishes. From Ree’s simple yet flavorful Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries to her decadent Caramel Apple Pie, the book offers a diverse range of recipes to suit every palate. The enthusiastic endorsement from the author’s husband, David, who immediately wanted to try the Eggs in Hash Brown Nests from the Easter brunch section, highlights the book’s broad appeal. Even for smaller, more intimate holidays like Valentine’s Day, Ree provides fun and festive options like Candy-Dipped S’Mores, demonstrating the book’s versatility across different celebrations.
Beyond the recipes, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays is enriched with personal photographs of Ree’s family – her children, parents, in-laws, and sister, Betsy, including charming vintage snapshots of Ree herself. These images add a layer of warmth and personality, making the cookbook feel like a cherished keepsake and a true reflection of the Pioneer Woman’s life and style. It’s this blend of practical recipes and personal touches that elevates Pioneer Woman Books beyond simple cookbooks, transforming them into sources of inspiration and comfort in the kitchen.
This cookbook is clearly a kitchen staple, worthy of a spot among the most frequently used cookbooks. It offers a year-round source of holiday inspiration, encouraging readers to add exciting new dishes to their traditional holiday menus. Ree Drummond’s ability to provide fresh holiday inspiration is a testament to her expertise in creating cookbooks that are both practical and deeply personal.
Let’s explore one of the featured recipes from The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays: Broccoli-Wild Rice Casserole, a Thanksgiving side dish that exemplifies Ree’s approach to classic comfort food.
Pioneer Woman’s Broccoli-Wild Rice Casserole
Broccoli Wild Rice Casserole in a Baking Dish with a Spoonful Being Scooped Out
by: Three Many Cooks
Serves: 12
Ingredients
- 2 cups wild rice or wild rice blend
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 to 3 broccoli crowns, cut into small florets
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
- 1 medium-large onion, cut into small dice
- 1 pound domestic white or baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
- 2 celery stalks, cut into small dice
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Place rice in a large saucepan, along with 5 cups of the broth; bring to boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the rice is just tender and broth is almost absorbed, 35 to 45 minutes; set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat a large pot of boiling, salted water. Add broccoli florets and cook until bright green and tender crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately drain broccoli and plunge it into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. When cool, drain and set aside.
- Heat 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and mushrooms; saute until tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Add carrots and celery; saute until all of the vegetables are soft and mixture starts to turn golden brown. Sprinkle in flour; stir to incorporate. Stir in remaining 3 cups of broth; bring to a simmer and continue to simmer to thicken slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in heavy cream; continue to simmer to heat through. Remove from heat.
- When ready to assemble, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread half of the rice in a 13- by 9-inch pan or other 2-quart casserole. Add enough broccoli to cover the surface. Repeat layering with remaining rice and enough broccoli to cover the surface. Ladle on sauce to evenly cover the casserole.
- Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter; toss with panko crumbs to coat. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over casserole. Cover casserole with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until breadcrumbs and golden brown and casserole is bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley and serve or as Ree would say, “Then dig in!”
Notes
Ree Drummond herself describes this Broccoli-Wild Rice Casserole as a revolutionary dish, transforming the traditional casserole into something “utterly luscious.” The wild rice adds a delightful texture and visual appeal, while the homemade cream of mushroom soup base elevates the flavor profile far beyond canned versions. This recipe perfectly encapsulates the appeal of Pioneer Woman books: taking familiar dishes and making them extraordinary with accessible techniques and flavorful ingredients. For anyone looking to enhance their holiday cooking or explore comforting, family-friendly recipes, diving into the world of Pioneer Woman books is a delicious and rewarding journey.
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