The Pioneer Woman Cooks—Super Easy!: 120 Shortcut Recipes for Dinners, Desserts, and More by Ree Drummond

The Pioneer Woman Cooks—Super Easy!: 120 Shortcut Recipes for Dinners, Desserts, and More Reviews

• 
  Katie B

  4.5 stars
  
  Odds are if you've watched the Food Network channel, you are familiar with Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman. She lives on a working ranch with her family and her recipes are basically comfort food type dishes. Not overly fancy meals, but they taste good, are relatively simple to prepare and should satisfy most eaters.
  
  This cookbook contains 120 recipes and the chapters include Breakfast, Apps and Snacks, Salads, Soups and Stews, Pizza and Sandwiches, Pasta and Grains, Easy Skillets, Lovin' from the Oven, and Terrific Tex Mex. The thought behind the book is to include shortcuts here and there that should save you some time in the kitchen, but without sacrificing the quality of the food. The vast majority of ingredients listed in the book you should be able to find at a regular grocery store rather than a specialty shop. While the recipes give detailed instructions, it was disappointing that each recipe does not list the estimated time for prep as well as the cook time. That's pretty much a standard thing with most cookbooks listing it at the top of the page near the serving info.
  
  By far the best thing about this cookbook is there are lots of photos. Each recipe has a photo of the dish and each step has a corresponding photo. I own around 50 cookbooks and it is extremely rare to get that many photos. Usually you're lucky if you get more than 2 photos per chapter.
  
  The recipes don't seem super complicated to make and therefore cooks of any skill level shouldn't have too much difficulty making the different dishes. I was impressed that there was a decent variety of recipes. I've been in a bit of a cooking rut lately, making the same dishes over and over, and this book inspired me to branch out and give some of her recipes a whirl.
  
  Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with a copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
• 
  Mary Jackson _TheMaryReader

  This is my favorite cookbook by Ree to date. It has so many great recipes and all the photos are so much help. I can't get over the easy fun recipes and easily accessible ingredients.
  I HIGHLY recommend this cookbook, you are going to enjoy all the family photos to. My the kids have sure grown up.
• 
  Rachel Hanes

  Confession time… This is the first cookbook that I have read and gone through by Ree Drummond. I also have never watched any of her cooking shows (or anyone else’s for that matter, considering that I rarely ever watch TV). I have however, heard plenty about Ree Drummond and her Pioneer Woman cooking show and magazine. 🍳
  
  I did enjoy this cookbook, although as with any other cookbook that I purchase or read there were only about two or three recipes that I would actually make. I’m not sure that these recipes were “super easy”, as the title of the cookbook claimed.
  
  The presentation of the meals and deserts were beautiful, and I did become increasingly hungry while going through this book. Oh, what I wouldn’t do to have the meals already prepared for me by Ree Drummond- now that would be a real treat! 😋
  
  I do recommend this cookbook to others, and I plan on going through some of Drummond’s previous books for more recipes.
• 
  Jessica

  I feel bad rating a Pioneer Woman cookbook with only 2 stars, but I just didn't like this one. I felt like her earlier cookbooks focused on more from-scratch cooking and this one focused on a lot of pre-made, convenience ingredients. I think anyone who cooks regularly knows that from-scratch is not always time consuming and can be just as fast (and taste better) as most convenience foods. There were like 2 recipes I want to try, but usually with her cookbooks there are several I want to try. I personally wouldn't recommend this one.
• 
  Frosty61

  I'm all for easy recipes, but some of these shortcuts made me cringe (Ramen noodles, Cream of whatever soup, etc.). On the other hand, some of the shortcuts weren't the overly processed, salty variety, like frozen sweet potato chunks or packaged gnocchi. The layout is beautiful with plenty of happy pictures of Ree Drummond and her family. I do plan to try some of the recipes in the hopes that they turn out as pretty as the photos in the book. Ha - doubt it.
• 
  Jen

  I loved the layout of the cookbook! The step by step photos really take the guesswork out of the recipes. This is exactly as described- easy family recipes. It’s a little too heavy on processed foods for my tastes, but will make for easy weeknight meals.
• 
  Carol Bakker

  Ree. Ree. You've put me in a quandry.
  
  My main reponse after reading through her shortcut recipes is bitter disappointment. Cool-Whip? Bisquick? Ramen Noodles? Instant Pudding? Cream-of-whatever soups? Bleep-ing Fish sticks? :: groan ::
  
  Dang, girl. No.
  Just. No.
  
  The food looks delicious. But this is how-to-add-dangerous, unhealthy ultra-processed food to your diet. Fried pasta?!!? And there I go, screeching like a food crank. The thing to swish around your brain — a palate cleanser — after this "Betty Crocker reimagined" cookbook is Robert Lustig's book Metabolical ("it's not the food itself that is bad, it is what has been done to it.")
  
  I have Ree's first cookbook. When I am looking online for a recipe, I gravitate towards Pioneer Woman. Two of her recipes, steak bites and Asian Noodle Salad, are staples of my weekly menu. Ree's lost weight this year and looks fabulous. I double-dog guarantee you it wasn't by these recipes. Ree is winsome. Ree is lovely. But this latest cookbook?
  
  Walk on by...
  
  
• 
  Stefanie

  We got this one for Emilia for her birthday this year. We're big fans of reading recipes aloud as a family at bedtime and we have now made it through this cookbook! We love Ree's recipes because they are friendly for this family and easy to make. Now that school is back in session we need all the super easy dinners.
• 
  Emily Danielson

  So many quick, easy and yummy sounding recipes in this cookbook from The Pioneer Woman!
• 
  Linda Galella

  A cookbook born out of necessity and love, you’ll have the best time reading, using and eating from this glorious COOKBOOK!
  
  Ree Drummond is no stranger to the kitchen or making cookbooks. Recent changes to family life brought about by COVID-19 quarantines caused her to reevaluate her approach to kitchen time and cooking. Shortcuts could be ok if the food doesn’t suffer and they result in more time spent with family.
  
  Drummond provides pictures of her favorite “shortcut” items; canned and frozen products that are GOOD and can save lots of time when preparing recipes. She also suggests some hacks to save time, like using rotisserie chickens from the store when you need shredded chicken; all cooked & seasoned, ready to shred. There are others and seeing actual pictures of the products Ree uses will save lots of times for some folks.
  
  Her time saving suggestions carry over to the recipes themselves. Not nearly so many bowls and vessels are used and more tho’t is given to single pot, casserole dish, bowls and the like and how that will impact cleanup and total time spent.
  
  By far, my favorite part of this cookbook, (aside from the food), is the sheer number of pictures. Every recipe has a pictorial guide of the various steps and a finished product. You can read the recipe, follow the steps, check the pictures and know if you’re doing all right along the way rather than ending up unhappy at the end of the cooking process.
  
  If you’re an health officionado, this book might rankle a bit. There aren’t any DV’s for anything. This is down home on the ranch cooking, comfort food, casseroles, full flavor, butter bearing, whipped cream topped, eewey, gooey and delicious eating.
  
  Besides being full of great culinary photography, Ree has included updates on all her family members and used them throughout the book as assistants and provides pictures that tell their individual stories. It’s like you get a family album inside the cookbook. Fans will be in Pioneer Woman heaven.
  
  Without a doubt, this cookbook can be used by beginner and seasoned cooks alike and will make a terrific gift for the holiday season or any reason📚
• 
  Marla Thrall

  
  
  Who here loves to eat but struggles with the time to cook?!? I know I can’t be the only one and I know it’s going to get way worse when the twins are born. I was so excited to receive The Pioneer Woman Cooks- Super Easy!
  
  This book is packed full of 120 different recipes that will fit their cooking schedule today! Breakfast, dinners, snacks, and deserts are included and everything is quick and simple!
  
  Of course, in normal Ree fashion, there is a ton of beautiful pictures included. Each recipe had a photo of the dish and each step has a corresponding photo! It makes Ree’s recipes so easy to follow along!
  
  I really like this cookbook!
  
  Thank you to @williammorrowbooks for providing me with a copy.
• 
  Cat Leonard

  I am a scratch cook. My kitchen is full of healthy ingredients to make real food recipes. Things you will not find in my pantry include processed cheese, baking mix, canned soup or Cool Whip.
  HOWEVER…
  Everything has its place.
  When we go to the beach and take the kids, the spouses, the grandkids…that makes 15 people. Does anybody go to the beach to cook? Not me.
  
  The recipes in Super Easy are shortcut cooking that will please six growing grandsons who are always looking for something to eat and except for the 3 year old, easy enough for the boys to assemble and cook themselves. There are fast food type meals I think will delight even our picky 2 year old princess. The Pioneer Woman Cooks Super Easy is going to be the cookbook that we love at the beach.
  I will be good again when we get home 😊
• 
  Sydna

  This is my new favorite cookbook from PW. The recipes have great shortcuts when you're needing dinner in a hurry. Especially love the 11-can soup!
• 
  Diana Barnett

  Love cooking from her cook books
• 
  Tracy

  I think this is my favorite cookbook by Ree so far!!! Always love the beautiful pictures and easy to follow along recipes. ❤️❤️
• 
  Susan

  Ree Drummond's latest cookbook full of easy recipes that use uncomplicated ingredients. Most ingredients will be in the kitchen pantry, like Bisquick, canned tomatoes, soups and beans, cake mixes, and frozen vegetables.
  Each recipe has lots of nice colour photos, and is easy to follow, and includes a little blurb from Ree.
  I will definitely try some of these recipe ideas, especially the Dalgona coffee and a bunch of the pasta ideas. Some recipes are a little too "processed" for my liking but I can see their appeal.
  Edit: Just tried her home made version of Hamburger Helper and it was delicious.
• 
  Tena Edlin

  I love these cookbooks so much. I can't resist them. The recipes are fun and easy in this edition. I have several pages marked, ready to try. The pictures of the food are tantalizing, and the recipes are easy to follow with lots of pictures in the directions, as well.
• 
  Amber

  So many good and realistic recipes. I especially liked the mason jar salad dressing recipes.
  
  
  Reread Review: I checked this book out thinking I hadn't read it. Fun to look back and re-read it a couple of years later.
  
• 
  Meagan

  Quintessential Pioneer Woman. I love all the pictures (and seeing how her kids have grown up!!), and all the recipes. Can’t wait to try many of them!
• 
  Laura

  As a working mother, the “Super Easy!” part of this title called to me. I have previously read and enjoyed Drummond’s autobiography, a previous cookbook, and some of her children’s books. I will admit that recipes from her past cookbook that I had were very tasty, although one was too hot for my midwestern taste. I was eager to try out this new cookbook.
  
  I was happy to see that recipes had a hot and a not so hot option for people like me that like some spice and not a lot. There were a lot of great chapters including breakfast, apps & snacks, salads, soups & stews, pizza & sandwiches, pasta & grains, easy skillets, lovin’ from oven, terrific tex-mex, and desserts. There is also a section on superhero shortcuts and top nine must have cooking staples to save time. As a busy mother, I already use most of the shortcuts and have the cooking staples in my cupboard. . . except for canned peppers and hot sauces!
  
  Each recipe has beautiful pictures that show the final product and all of the steps to make the dish. There is a paragraph about the recipe, an ingredients list, and then step by step instructions with pictures for each step. The only thing that was confusing when making the recipes is that the step-by-step pictures go in columns from top to bottom, left to right, rather than just left to right like when you are regularly reading a page. At the end of the recipe is a list of variations that can be used on the recipe to change it up.
  
  My husband Ben made the Teriyaki Chicken Sheet Pan Supper recipe for us for dinner one night and it was delicious. Even our picky kids liked the chicken. We did use green onions rather than asparagus as that is what we had on hand. It was a delicious, relatively easy, and healthy dinner after work one night. We have other recipes tagged that we will try out soon.
  
  Overall, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy! Is a great cookbook with interesting new recipes for busy nights after work.
  
  Book Source: Review Copy from William Morrow. Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
  
  This review was first posted on my blog at:
  https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2021...
• 
  Emily

  I’m giving this cook book 3 stars because while I enjoy a lot of the recipes IN it, it bothers me that Ree has decided to promote a lot of shortcuts that are incredibly unhealthy. I wish Ree would promote more HEALTH and not CONVENIENCE. For example, in her “superhero shortcuts” on page XV, she promotes cake mixes… does she not realize some of the horrible, processed junk in these cake mixes?! Same could really go for most of her “superhero shortcuts”. We live in a world where we’re hugely misled about processed foods being good for us. With her audience, I’d hope Ree would research more and realize the dangers in what she’s promoting. I’d much rather spend an extra hour dicing vegetables than opt for the junky stuff. I’m really kind of appalled at some of the shortcuts but I guess true healthy eating doesn’t help ratings. On the plus side, I really love the “salad bar” concept (page 88) that Ree shares in this cook book, especially because the more healthy-minded people can adapt it to their own preferences. I use this often now when we have guests and it’s a lot of fun to tweak and be creative with every time. That’s the other good news, some of Ree’s less-than-healthy options in many of these recipes can be replaced with better choices. I hope Ree becomes a little more conscious of her influence and of healthier options for her next cook book.
• 
  Joleen

  Well, as the title says, super easy. Yup.
  
  But when it comes to cookbooks I’m a purist. I like recipes. Period. I don’t want to wade through paragraphs of information about each recipe. Nor do I want pages and pages and pages of posed family photos and family histories. If I knew Ree Drummond I might get excited about seeing all the pictures of her family. But I don’t know her. I just want recipes.
  
  But I also don’t want pages and pages, and picture after picture for each step for just one recipe. Seriously, some recipes were about 20 pages long. Ugh.
  
  But if you want easy, well illustrated step-by-step recipes, this is the book for you.
• 
  Red Colorada

  I have bought extra copies of this book as gifts for my friends and family. I am a visual learner and don't do well with cookbooks that do not have at a minimum a picture of what the dish should look like. This book goes above and beyond that by including pictures of what every step along the way should look like. I have been following Ree Drummond since before she started having a TV show. She has always been amazing at her photography and this book does not disappoint. Easy to follow and visually stunning.
• 
  Evil Secret Ninja

  Check out my youtube channel where I review books
  
  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg4e...
  
  Pioneer woman is one of my favorite cookbook series. I love so many of her recipes. I am excited to try the ones in this book and there are some great shortcuts. She always comes through with some great recipes and great stories from her life. There are very few of her recipes I do not enjoy and her books are a staple in my cooking library
• 
  Leona

  This cookbook has a lot of family photos and food photos. I don’t watch the shows so I enjoyed seeing the extended family, to a degree. The recipe photos tended to look the same after awhile, many sauced heavy dishes. These recipes are all uncomplicated and pretty quick as promised by the title. Of 120, I chose three to screen shot from the e-book format. I would recommend this cookbook for a true Pioneer Woman fan.