The 10 Best Kitchen Hacks From The Pioneer Woman

By Erin Cullum
Monica Schipper | Stringer
Monica Schipper | Stringer

Ree Drummond, aka the Pioneer Woman, has a huge following — and for good reason. Even before she had a hit show on the Food Network, she gained readership on her blog, where she regularly shares a delightful and entertaining mix of recipes, personal stories, and details of family life on her ranch in Oklahoma. Her down-to-earth vibe and comforting recipes are just a couple of reaons she's one of our favorite celebrity chefs. Needless to say, the home cook knows her way around the kitchen and has a lot of cooking tips up her sleeves — keep reading to learn from the best.

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  1. Use your waffle iron to make pizza.
    In an interview with Delish, the Pioneer Woman shared her ingenious method of making pizza in a waffle iron. "You put bread dough in the waffe iron and bake it a few minutes, then throw on cheese and toppings, like pineapple and peppers, and close it and let it cook until the cheese melts."
  2. When eating out, order what you DON'T make at home.
    "I love sushi, and I usually order it because it's the farthest thing from what I make at home. The last thing I'd order is steak; it's one of my favorite dinners, but we cook it all the time."

  1. Combine deep-dish pizza and cookie cake for one epic dessert.
    Just look at this deep-dish fruit pizza recipe.
  2. Use whatever you have in your kitchen as a mallet.
    "I'll use anything as a mallet. I'll use an iron skillet to flatten and tenderize round steak; I'll use a rolling pin or aluminum cans as a mallet. I don't think I've ever owned a mallet. I just use everything else in my kitchen instead."

  1. Make sure you have one really good, high-quality stainless skillet.
    It's worth investing in.
  2. Add dry mustard to macaroni and cheese to enhance the flavor.
    There's a reason her macaroni and cheese recipe is so popular.

  1. Take French toast to the next level by sprinkling with cinnamon sugar.
  2. Add cream cheese to mashed potatoes to make them extra creamy.
    That's the secret ingredient in her mashed potatoes recipe.

  1. Make your life easier by keeping your kitchen really organized.
    Ree's tip: use baskets!
  2. When you know your schedule is getting crazy, make freezer-friendly meals.
    "I make a lot of freezer meals, since everyone's coming and going.