The New Frontier: 112 Fantastic Favorites for Everyday Eating

by Ree Drummond

The #1 New York Times bestselling author and Food Network favorite The Pioneer Woman cooks up exciting new favorites from her life on the ranch in this glorious full-color cookbook that showcases home cooking at its most delicious (and most fun!).

Welcome to Ree’s new frontier! So much has happened on Drummond Ranch over the last couple of years: The kids are growing up, another left for college, Ree’s schedule is crazier than ever…and through it all, her cooking has evolved. While she and her family still love all the hearty comfort foods they’re accustomed to, Ree’s been cooking up some incredible new dishes that reflect the flavors, colors, and texture she’s craving these days.
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier features 112 brand new step-by-step recipes that bring fresh, exciting elements into your everyday meals. From super-scrumptious breakfasts, to satisfying soups and sandwiches, to deliciously doable suppers and sides—and, of course, a collection of irresistible sweets you’ll want to make immediately!—these pages will deliver a big list of fabulous new dishes for you to add to your repertoire.


A wife of a cowboy, mother of growing kids, and a businesswoman with a packed work schedule, Ree knows exactly what it means to juggle life’s numerous demands simultaneously. The recipes in this book use everything from a skillet to a Dutch oven to an Instant Pot, so you’ll have a mix of options to suit your own timeframe. And to reflect her own occasional adventures in carb cutting, Ree shares dozens of luscious lower-carb options for those days you want to eat a little lighter without sacrificing flavor. In The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier you can explore an amazing and eclectic mix of traditional and new, including:
• Portobello Bun Burgers (revolutionary)
• Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal (tastes just like fall!)
• Lasagna Soup (so family friendly)
• Fried Tomato Sandwich (with pesto mayo and whole basil leaves)
• Parmesan Crisps (an irresistible low-carb snack)
• Zucchini Caprese Sliders (a pretty and tasty low-carb delight)
• Blueberry Ricotta Crostini (gorgeous party food!)
• Teriyaki Shrimp and Pineapple Parcels (the new way to stir fry)
• Mean Green Mac and Cheese (mac & cheese + veggies = score!)
• Ranch Pork Chop Supper (kids will love to make it)
• Cauliflower Fried Rice (a guilt-free version of your favorite takeout dish)
• Ice Cream Bonbons (smaller bites, to satisfy quick cravings)
• 11-Carton Cake (uses a carton of yogurt, then the carton measures everything else!)
• Caramel Apple Quesadillas (beyond belief)
Filled with endless variations, ingredient discussions, and equipment suggestions sprinkled among sensational recipes that offer a mix of refined and down-home, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier offers a whole new world of “scrumptious” for you to explore!

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Reference, Foodie, Self Help

384 pages, Hardcover

First published October 22, 2019

About the author

Ree Drummond began blogging in 2006 and has built an award-winning website, where she shares recipes, showcases her photography, and documents her hilarious transition from city life to ranch wife. She is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling cookbook The Pioneer Woman Cooks . Ree lives on a working cattle ranch near Pawhuska, Oklahoma, with her husband, Ladd; their four kids; their beloved basset hound; and lots of other animals.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad.......I've always loved her cookbooks but this one seemed to fall flat. I think some of the recipes were repeats from previous cookbooks as well. I did save two of them but I'm glad I got this cookbook from the library and didn't buy it.

[Lani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Pioneer woman cook book. I'm kind of glad it was because so many of her fans rated this one pretty harshly. I guess there are some repetitive recipes from past cookbooks. They were all new to me and I even saved a few to try. I have to say the ebook version from the library was awful. The captions didn't go with the pictures and some were just cut in half. That's not the Author's fault. I'm sure the Kindle version or Hardback are the way to go. I liked how she has pictures with each step and not just one picture of the final product. It was like watching her on her show, with random pictures of her family on the ranch and anecdotes.

[KC · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I will say about this book is that the pages are laid out nicely w easy to follow instructions and pictures. The recipes are more traditional and she does love her meat. Not many options for this household.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to say that I am disappointed. My favorite cookbook is the first one, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, followed by The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A year of Holidays. I have bought all five hard copies and I am sad to say this is my last.

The recipes are uninspiring and there are only a handful that I thought might be good, but they seem forgettable. Animal cookies, pop tarts, egg salad a million ways, fried red tomatoes (not in the South, honey), Spiked spa water, seriously?! There are a lot of misses with this one and a definite departure from the country cooking her brand was built on. I love her brand, but this is my last cookbook.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love Ree. You just want to be her friend and sit down and have a meal with her and her family. There were not any recipes in this book that I would make but I loved reading about them and looking at the pics.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, let me say, that this is a great book - typical Ree - showcasing recipes, with step by step instructions and pictures (that go along to show each step) for producing said recipes, and if you are new to this game or have a lot of people to cook for, then I highly recommend this!

However, as someone who has read pretty much everything she has ever produced, I found some of the recipes to be repeats. Also, most of her recipes are for 6-8 or 8-10 services. There are very few recipes that only serves 4, and while I do cook, I don't necessarily cook well enough to figure out how to divvy up the ingredients to produce smaller servings. Yes, for some recipes, Ree has included suggestions for leftovers, but not most, and with the large number of servings, I would be eating leftovers, forever!

Also, as someone who does Weight Watchers, I kept looking at some of her recipes trying to figure out what I could substitute for some of her more "pointed" ingredients. Now, I know that Ree and her large family own and live on a large ranch (no ground turkey, here), so, like I said ... large servings, Ree has you covered!

On a more positive note, Ree uses an Instant Pot for some recipes - I don't have one of these, but have been contemplating purchasing one, so she did provide some basic and important information about this, and I did photocopy this information for future reference.

Still a beautiful book to look at, if you have the time.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really like many of her early recipes and some have become standards for me. But this one has little to offer, I think. This feels like she's grasping to come up with new ideas by throwing things together. and her good ol' cowgirl (homeschooling, football, ranchin' and jeezus) shtick is becoming tiresome. I'm disappointed.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with some of the other reviews, this cookbook falls flat compared to some of her others. There are not very many recipes that I can make for my household in this cookbook. The best part of this cookbook are the pictures. I continue to wish Ree would find healthier alternatives to some of her recipes. In today’s world where we have to worry about what’s healthy and what’s not in pretty much EVERYTHING we eat, I’d love to see Ree come up with some truly healthy, non-processed alternatives.

[Tena Edlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

These cookbooks are always beautiful and entertaining. The recipes, for the most part, didn’t seem to ring my bell as much as the other Pioneer Woman cookbooks, but I still enjoyed reading it.

[Kara Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, my least favorite of her cookbooks. I miss the kind of cooking she did in the beginning.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than the last one I read of hers (The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! Simple, Scrumptious Recipes for Crazy Busy Lives ) Definitely had more interesting recipes and a few jumped out at me to try.

Look forward to trying the few that jumped out at me.

[Anke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this today, read it in one sitting and now I'm hungry:)

[Kaitlyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think it's pretty cool that each step has a picture with it, but I also think that takes away and distracts from the recipe. It's a cool concept, but I don't think it worked very well.

[Jennifer T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Beautiful photos and step by step recipes. Many of the recipes did not appeal to me much so minus one star for that. Glad to have it my collection however.

[Sonja Isaacson · Rating 4 out of 5]

We tested recipes from this book in September 2021.
Here's what we tried:
Brown Butter Granola Clusters
Giant Cinnamon Roll
Dutch Baby
Berry Breakfast Tarts
(NA) Marga-ree-ta
(NA) Spiked Spa Water
(NA) Homeschooler
(NA) Oklahoma Prairie Fire
Ranch Pork Chop Sheet Pan Supper (made twice - really good!)
Steakhouse Pasta
Herb Citrus Salmon
Kung Pao Cauliflower
Sweet Corn Soup
Mean Green Mac & Cheese
Cheesy Italian Bread Sticks
Roasted Potatoes with Sage
Carrot Noodles
Perfect Potato Parcels
Teriyaki Grilled Vegetables
Animal Cookies
Mini Glazed Brownies
Ice Cream Bonbons (FAIL)
Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Chocolate Mint Ice Box Cake

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pictures of recipes? Yes.
Commentary on recipes? Yes.
Nutrition facts? No.
Recipe Style? Midwestern with a lot of Tex-Mex influences.
Any keepers? No.

Not my favorite PW cookbook. This one seems to include a lot more vegetable centered dishes, which makes it seem a bit healthier than some of her others.

[T · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars because pictures. Lots and lots of pictures. Otherwise, I found most recipes to be pretty blasé and uninspired. For a cookbook with over 100 recipes, there were very few I would want to try out and see if they’re good enough for my usual rotation.

[Julie H. Ernstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently snagged two Ree Drummond cookbooks at a second-hand bookstore, both in excellent condition. I flipped through both with an eye toward who would be likelier to cook the dishes in either, and gave the other Drummond title to my sister and retained The New Frontier for myself. Despite its somewhat unenlightened title, I found several items in its pages I was eager to make--the sheet pan breakfast (we roast veggies and dinners this way all the time, why not breakfast?), the lower-carb Eggs Benedict (just do the Florentine and seat it on the bed of spinach, skipping the English muffin altogether), honeydew Gazpacho, salsa verde, zucchini caprese sliders, blueberry-ricotta sliders, Greek guacamole (what couldn't be improved by the addition of kalamata olives and feta?!), goat cheese truffles (OMG!!!), her ideas for garnishing a Bloody Mary (we already have a pretty unbeatable home made recipe for those), the Oklahoma Prairie Fire (an intriguing tequila- or mezcal-based cocktail with--among other things--ancho chile powder), lasagna soup, portabello bun burgers (although we'll sub in turkey), cast-iron pizza (so good!), sheet pan shrimp puttanesca, sweet potato and kale tacos, eggplant parmesan spaghetti squash bowl (ingenious!), mean green mac and cheese, smashed cucumber salad, and butterscotch lava cakes. The instructions are clear and well illustrated. Nice work!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved her first two cookbooks, and this really doesn't stack up that well compared to them. I still lover her conversational tone, and hearing about her family and daily life (which has also changed a lot). But these recipes aren't as homey; they're more modern, but not truly modern - modern-for-Ree, which isn't really the Ree I expect. The drinks chapter was kind of a throwaway; I liked the appetizers and seafood best. Her pictures are still great; and her tone is very warm; but I don't know how many of these I'd work into my regular routine.

She has never given nutritional information, but many of these recipes are low carb. But again, while sandwiching a burger between two mushroom halves is a good idea, it's not original.

Worth checking out if you're a fan, and some of the low carb stuff is worth trying if you're following that kind of diet. But otherwise, not really worthwhile.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't generally like celebrity anything, but I ordered this on a whim and I was happy I did. Like Drummond I have a household of teenage athletes and meal planning for both State and Junior Olympic athletes is at the minimum a part time job. I took a nutrition class last year and I decided to impliment some of the things I learned into my athletes meals, and I noticed they made significant athletic gains. These recipes were written for hungry athletic teenagers, and this is exactly what I am catering to. I love some of the breakfast suggestions, especially the foil pockets. If you are a mom of athletic teenagers this is a must have cookbook on your bookshelf. Packed with ideas. The recipes are not low calorie but these are written for growing athletes who need the fat, protein and calories to achieve. I am glad I bought it and will be trying a number or recipes to add to my family meals.

[Angel Pickard · Rating 5 out of 5]

My girls and I spent some of our afternoon going through this and really enjoyed the trip to “The New Frontier.” I loved her personal notes about how their lives are changing and they are growing and working. This is a great collection of cooking method recipes. Just like me Ree loves to use her slow cooker, instant pot, oven and grill. She has recipes for all of these. She also has a good mix of low carb, make ahead, quick and easy, freezer meals, family friendly, guests and entertaining worthy, and indulgent treats. The nice thing about these are that she uses so many whole ingredients for wholesome recipes I would feel good about serving. It has her signature method of vivid photos of each step of the recipe and a bonus of all the cute Bassett hounds of the family. The girls and I are excited to try the giant cinnamon roll (baked in a cast iron skillet), the virgin drinks, and the spicy cowgirl iced coffee!

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rainy Day books had Ree Drummond appear for a talk at the Unity Temple located on the Plaza in Kansas City, MO. We paid to attend the event and got a signed copy of this book as we left. As her two daughters have flew the nest to attend college and the dynamics of the ranch are now a man cave the style of cooking is also changing. She tried KETO for a short time and has incorporated some low carb recipes - she said she quit because it was making her hate many of the foods she loved before the diet. There are also more vegetarian recipes offered. I was just talking to my mom wondering how to make a McGriddle and she has a recipe for that. Her mom had never used a crockpot and she is now learning how to incorporate into her kitchen along with the Instapot. I found several recipes that I am eager to try.

[Jennifer Naslund Deutz · Rating 2 out of 5]

For this cookbook, I didn't have as much time as I would normally like to go through it (I only was able to cook a single recipe). But I have been burned by Ree in the past- it seems like every time I make a recipe it just doesn't come out quite right- great recipe ideas but poor execution. Her cookbook is useful to someone not confident yet in the kitchen (every step has a photo). Although a minor pet peeve is that her steps read down and to the right as opposed to the right and down (look at the book and you'll see what I mean).
I tried the lasagna soup recipe (2.5/5): the flavor was good, but not great. Plus the ratios were way off.

Her cookbooks are pretty and the photos are great, but I don't have enough to trust to sink more ingredients and time into trying out more recipes. (2.5/5)

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of blah, to be honest. I have a few of her other cookbooks and they are far better. This one felt like such a rehashing of her previous stuff except more boring (if such a thing is possible), plus recipes for things that were really unnecessary- egg salad and spiked cucumber water? Ridiculous. I don't need a recipe to make boozy club soda. There's a lot of crockpot stuff and Instant Pot recipes, but they aren't that interesting- it's really just basic stuff. And so much of the same old Midwest Tex-Mex crap that's full of sodium (not everyone works on a cattle ranch and burns 3k calories a day, girl). This feels like she had an advance paid out for another cookbook, was overwhelmed with getting her restaurant and store opened, and just phoned the whole thing in from 'written-on-Post-Its-at-2AM' the day before her deadline. And the writing is so saccharine, I'm really over the "I'm a good ol'city girl turned country girl who loves football and Jesus and my perfect kids" shtick. She never shows any growth or change, just an image she curated to sell herself, but in actuality after so many years of it it just makes her incredibly boring and yet another housewife saying she's lonely in her pretty home because her kids grew up and left. I feel like I saw glimpses of the real woman in her previous books, but now she seems to lack any identity outside of her family and her brand.

Her best book still remains the Dinnertime one, which I still highly recommend for the freezer chapter alone.

[Jessica Hicks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to give this more stars, but I can’t. It’s such a pretty cookbook! Ree’s personality comes through in her writing. She’s fun and cute. I like the pictures of her family throughout. It really contrasts with the Magnolia Table book which feels like it’s trying too hard. Also, the food pictures and pictures of each step are amazing.
The reason I had to deduct stars is.... I made 13 recipes I was excited about and only loved 3 of them. That’s a pretty terrible ratio.

I loved the instant pot sticky pork. Kids said it was the best pulled pork they’d ever had.
I loved the mean green mac n cheese- who would have thought mint would be good in a cheese sauce?!
And omg I LOVED the sweet potato and kale tacos. I had 5 in one sitting and had to pull myself away. The bitterness of the kale plus the sweetness of the potatoes and the salty cotija cheese?! 🤤

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Todd's griddle sandwiches
Brown butter granola clusters
Peachy slow cooker oatmeal
Slow cooker broccoli egg casserole
Berry breakfast tarts
Giant cinnamon roll
Tater breakfast casserole
Parmesan crisps, two ways
Blueberry-ricotta crostini
Not knots
Chicken with roasted red pepper sauce
Lasagna soup
Pasta alla Ladd
Parmesan fish sticks
Cheesy Italian bread sticks
Chocolate cherry cream cheese pie bites
Key Lime pie bites
Animal cookies
Mini glazed brownies
Chocolate mint icebox cake
Dessert doughnuts
Caramel pecan cheesecakes
Strawberry sprinkle cheesecakes
Fast and fruity no-churn ice cream
Chocolate devils
Peanut butter-stuffed chocolate chunk cookies
11-carton cake
Confetti cake

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your normal Pioneer Woman cookbook. However, the reader is warned by her title of "The New Frontier". She includes a lot of drinks, desserts, and appetizer recipes. I love that she prefaces recipes with notes on lower cards, great to freeze, make ahead, etc. I will be freezing recipes for the winter and making meals the night before are great for during the work week.

Her photos are beautiful throughout the book. I love photos of her kids and her life on the ranch. Her life is so filled with love and great food. I am looking forward to creating her recipes and sharing them with my family and friends.

[June Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another fun frontier cooking adventure with the engaging, creative, and optomistic Ree Drummond!

I've read many of this author's cookbooks, and I have enjoyed them all. The warm, friendly, down-home feeling tone conveyed by the author is pleasant and relaxing. Her photographs are colorful and capture not only her stepped-out instructions for the recipes, but they include photos of her family and their pets on their working ranch in Oklahoma.

One plus for this book were the 'lower carb' recipes she included in almost every section of the book.

I borrowed this book from the local public library.

########################

[Alisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do still love so many things about the Pioneer Woman cookbooks. She is so great at photographing every step. There are so many recipes that feel like they would fit "me" but not quite so much my family in this book. My favorite part were the mini desserts. Having decided lately, I can't devote as much time to more "time intensive" cooking recipes, I couldn't find as much for me in this cookbook. I think I would like to come back to it maybe in a later place in life without little kids around. Some of the recipes do look divine for my husband and I, but just take more time and ingredients than I can handle right now.

[Jo Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Ree Drummond. Her cookbooks are as down to earth and cheerful as she is. The recipes here are very inviting, with some new techniques (Insta-Pot), and a whole section devoted to vegetarian dishes. All the recipes have a step by step format with pictures. There are lots of funny and tender descriptions of Drummond family life and events (with pictures).

I never actually read a cookbook before, Only the recipes if they caught my eye. This was an item on a reading challenge. I love to cook, so I took on the challenge. Its a fun read and I learned a few new kitchen tricks. Great way to spend an afternoon.