Ree Drummond is a huge fan of makeahead meals, and we are too But not just any recipe will do. Luckily, weve got the best of the best from The Pioneer Woman. A. Preview Pioneer Womans New Food Network Show Premieres This WeekendPhotographs Food NetworkRee Drummond began her site The Pioneer Woman back in 2. Today she gets well over 2. Charlie, plus shes finishing another cookbook coming out next spring. Theres talk of a movie with Reese Witherspoon rumored to play her, and this Saturday, her Food Network show premieres. Oh, and because shes not busy enough, she also homeschools her four children on a cattle ranch outside of Pawhuska, Oklahoma. How do you fuel that kinda lifestyle Chicken fried steak. If you can master the fine art of gravy and chicken fried steak, you can do most things in life, Ree says in the first episode of her part cooking show, part slice of ranch life reality show, which airs this Saturday, August 2. EST on Food Network. The season will include six half hour episodes. And you really cant eat her chicken fried steak without a big slop of mashed potatoes. The Pioneer Womans version calls for a stick and a half of butter, eight ounces of cream cheese, and a cup of heavy cream. Find the best of The Pioneer Woman from Food Network. Former city girl Ree Drummond brings downhome recipes and timesaving tips to the table on The Pioneer Woman. Watch highlights and get recipes on Food Network. But waitdont put that butter back in the fridge yet First smear the stick all over an oven safe dish, throw the mashed potatoes in there, then dot the top layer with more butter. Now it can go into the oven. So, lets review butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, and more butter. Thats the rib stickin menu featured on her shows first episode. Food network pioneer woman Find Recipes Print Use today. The Pioneer Woman Plowing through Life in the Country. One Calf Nut at a Time. Photographs Food Network Ree Drummond began her site The Pioneer Woman back in 2006. Today she gets well over 20 million pageviews, shes published three books a. We chatted with Ree about the show at the Food Network kitchen studios in Chelsea Market yesterday. Sneak Peek Clip Pioneer Womans First Episode. Our Chat with Ree. When shes not in the kitchen, youll see Ree around the ranch in the show. Will you be watching the first episode Were actually going to be at a rodeo this weekend, staying at a interstate motel that probably wont have the Food Network. The Pioneer Woman Food Network ScheduleWe might have to pull over at a sports bar and ask them to turn off whatever games on to watch the show Do you like watching yourself on TV Oh, dear. When I watched the episodes, I cringed. Banana Pudding Recipe. Recoiled. Its hard because theres so many things to think about when youre being filmed. Look at the camera. Talk about the recipe. I would say something that I thought was funny then nobody would on the set would laugh. Its silent while shooting. Then Id get nervous, start to sweat. I had to step out of the room at first and get it together. What really helped was getting to know the camera guy and visualizing my audience, thinking about talking to all you guys to make it feel more natural. And by the end you felt more natural When I start belting out Ethel Mermen on camera, thats when youll know Im feeling totally like myself. I love Ethel. Chicken fried steak, gravy, mashed potatoes, and a tomato salad. What can we expect on the first episode There are two cooking segments for each show, with some time of us hanging out on the ranch too. On the first episode we make chicken fried steak, my husband Ladds favorite, with mashed potatoes, gravy and an heirloom tomato salad with balsamic vinegar. Whoever invented balsamic vinegars is one of my heroesI love it. My husbands a meat and potatoes kinda guy, but sometimes I try tricking him into being a meat and tomatoes kinda guy. Was any of the show scriptedNope. The network gave me a lot of freedom. Most of the shows just followed the natural flow of the ranch. We really wanted to represent the everyday life on the ranch. The Drummond family. The whole series was filmed at the ranch. What was that likeWe shot the six episodes at the lodge kitchen, our guesthouse on the ranch, over 1. They were long 1. Some of the crew stayed on the ranch, others rented houses in town in Pawhuska. There were about 1. Throwdown with Bobby Flay came out to shoot last summer. The production company for my show also worked on the Barefoot Contessa. Do you watch Ina Like her Oh, yes. I love Ina. I watched her all day while nursing my kids. Do you consider yourself in the same league as her and the other food show celebs nowNo, not yet. I dont lump myself with her, Bobby, Sara Moulton, and the others Ive been watching for years. Still gotta earn my spot. Ree sharing a bite with Charlie, the familys basset hound. The new cookbook. Tell us about that. Its called Pioneer Woman Cooks Food from My Frontier. I like to call it, the Pioneer Woman steps it up. The recipes are a little more elegant, a little fancier than the first cookbook, but still very accessible. Are most of the recipes on the show as rib stickin as the chicken fried steak Fancier A little of both. On one episode, my husband and the kids are gone, so I have my mother in law, sister in law, and sister over to make a fig and arugula topped pizza. Editors note stay tuned for the recipe on Slice soon My kids, they only eat pepperoni. They take after their father. So that wouldnt fly if they were around. Me, I never want the same pizza topping twice. Im working on about five pizza recipes for the new cookbook. Would you do another season if FN asked you to Yeah. It would be like having another baby. Have you noticed all my childbirth references Tell us something most people dont know about you. I can put both feet behind my head. Pause. I was sorta waiting for her to break out and show me right here. Unfortunately, she did not. I havent figured out a way to photograph it yet. Episode DescriptionsHome on the Ranch 82. Ree whips up Breakfast Punch and Cowboy Breakfast Sandwiches for a crack of dawn cattle gathering with the kids and cowboys. She also prepares a favorite ranch dinner Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy, Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Marinated Tomato Salad with Herbs. Surprise Birthday 93 For Todds seventh birthday the Drummond family plans his first ever surprise party. First, the baby cowboy is treated to his favorite Lemon Blueberry Pancakes. While Ladd distracts Todd, Ree conjures up a birthday feast of gooey Macaroni and Cheese and juicy Sliders with a toppings bar finished off with a Chocolate Sheet Cake. Cowgirls and Cowboys 91. A battle of the sexes goes down on the ranch with a blind taste test to see if Penne alla Vodka can win a coveted spot on Ladds approved list. Later, Ree throws a cowgirls dinner the guys would hate while theyre gone Goat Cheese and Dill appetizers, chilled Sangria and a Fig, Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza. The Drummond Bunch 91. Cajun Chicken Pasta for the hungry Drummond kids, then, while theyre at a sleepover, Ree does date night frontier style with Ladds Favorite Sandwich two ways and Oklahoma style Egg in the Hole for breakfast. Frontier Family 92. For a field trip to a local museum and wild life reserve, Ree makes Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies. On Sunday, the family heads to church followed by a dinner of comfort classics like Pot Roast and sweet Blackberry Cobbler. Ranchers Dinner 1. Ree entertains in true Wild West fashion with guns, roping, and a marital shootout. Aside from the fun and games, the menu includes Ladds Grilled Tenderloins, Twice Baked Potatoes, Corn Casserole and iceberg wedges with homemade Ranch Dressing. For dessert, Ree sets up a Brownie and Hot Fudge Sundae bar that everyone enjoys while watching Ree and Ladds throw down. About the author Erin is the national editor of Serious Eats. You can follow her on Twitter erinzimmer.