What ‘The Pioneer Woman’ Ree Drummond Cooks When Her Children Are Sick

The Pioneer Woman star Ree Drummond is the queen of hearty, feel-good meals. Whenever her children aren’t feeling well, she likes to whip up a special dish to soothe their bodies and souls. Here’s what the Food Network cook revealed is her go-to meal when her children are under the weather.

How many children does Ree Drummond have?

Drummond started with four children, but now she has five. Her eldest child, Alex Drummond, will be getting married this year to her college sweetheart, Mauricio Scott. Drummond’s other children are Paige, Bryce, Todd and Jamar. The Pioneer Woman host revealed the arrival of her foster son, Jamar, in her book Frontier Follies.

What Ree Drummond cooks when her children are sick

Drummond revealed the special meal she makes when her children are sick. She says she likes to make them chicken noodle soup. The Accidental Country Girl adds crackers and egg noodles to the soup.

“I always serve it with saltines,” Drummond says in The Pioneer Woman magazine. “One of my favorite recipes for chicken noodle soup is a heartier twist on the classic–and the addition of frozen egg noodles is a revelation!”

A hearty version of Ree Drummond’s chicken noodle soup

Drummond’s “heartier twist” on the classic chicken noodle soup is her chicken and noodles recipe. She says her chicken and noodles will “make your soul smile.” It’s different from chicken noodle soup, which is a little thinner. She says chicken and noodles are more like a stew. Here are the ingredients she shared on The Pioneer Woman website:

• 1 whole cut-up fryer chicken
• 2 whole carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 whole medium onion, diced (optional)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper (more to taste)
• 1/4 tsp. ground thyme
• 2 tsp. parsley flakes
• 16 oz. frozen “homemade” egg noodles
• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour

Drummond says chicken and noodles is comfort food from her days as a youth on the golf course. She likes to use dried parsley flakes for added flavor. For the noodles, she prefers to use Reames frozen egg noodles. Drummond describes Reams as “one of the best store-bought prepackaged foods there is.” She says these are the same noodles her grandmother used to cook with.

The best part about these noodles is that they contain few ingredients. Drummond says the noodles only contain flour, water, and eggs. She says one advantage of making chicken and noodles is that it can be prepared gradually throughout the morning. Each step can be completed at your own pace.

Drummond says when she used to homeschool her children, she didn’t always make a meal like chicken and noodles. Sometimes, they would have peanut butter sandwiches or leftovers from the previous night’s dinner.

Ree Drummond’s best comfort food recipes

There’s nothing like comfort food to keep you going when you’re not feeling well. Drummond has plenty of comfort food recipes on her website. Among them are her slow cooker Sunday stew, lasagna, creamy mashed potatoes, and stuffed shells.

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