There's a big secret on the ranch. It's Todd's seventh birthday and the family is planning his first-ever surprise party. See the moment when Todd gets the surprise of his life. Well, if his brother hasn't let the cat out the bag. On The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond shares her comforting home cooking from her kitchen on the ranch. With direct audio from her hit Food Network TV show, you can now enjoy Ree’s company as she cooks up meals for every occasion, from last-minute family suppers to elegant celebrations. For even more recipes head to discovery+ and stream full episodes of The Pioneer Woman on discovery+. Head to discoveryplus.com/pioneerwoman to start your 7-day free trial today. Terms apply.
There's a big secret on the ranch. It's Todd's seventh birthday and the family is planning his first-ever surprise party. See the moment when Todd gets the surprise of his life. Well, if his brother hasn't let the cat out the bag.
Below are the recipes used in today’s episode:
Lemon Blueberry Pancakes: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/lemon-blueberry-pancakes-recipe-1925480
Macaroni and Cheese: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/macaroni-and-cheese-recipe-1952854
Sliders: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/sliders-recipe-1925553
Macaroni and Cheese and Sliders Bar: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/macaroni-and-cheese-and-sliders-bar-recipe-1949700
Chocolate Sheet Cake: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/chocolate-sheet-cake-recipe-1925452
On The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond shares her comforting home cooking from her kitchen on the ranch. With direct audio from her hit Food Network TV show, you can now enjoy Ree’s company as she cooks up meals for every occasion, from last-minute family suppers to elegant celebrations.
For even more recipes head to discovery+ and stream full episodes of The Pioneer Woman on discovery+. Head to discoveryplus.com/pioneerwoman to start your 7-day free trial today. Terms apply.
Find episode transcript here: https://the-pioneer-woman.simplecast.com/episodes/surprise-birthday
[MUSIC PLAYING] REE DRUMMOND: I'm Ree Drummond. I'm a writer, blogger, photographer, mother, and I'm an accidental country girl. I live on a ranch in the middle of nowhere, and I've got a lot of mouths to feed.
My style of food is simple yet scrumptious, and all my recipes have to be approved by cowboys, hungry kids, and me. Here's what's happening. My baby Todd's turning seven.
TODD DRUMMOND: After this, can we eat? Thank you.
LADD DRUMMOND: You're always hungry.
REE DRUMMOND: And we're having his favorite lemon and blueberry pancakes for breakfast.
TODD DRUMMOND: That's really good, mama.
REE DRUMMOND: And his first ever surprise birthday party with Mac and cheese sliders a great toppings bar and a cake made by his sister. How can he possibly be seven? Welcome to my frontier.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
SPEAKER: All right, Toddy.
TODD DRUMMOND: This is heavy. You're too heavy.
LADD DRUMMOND: It's kind of nice, isn't it? You ought to learn to make noise like [CLICKS TONGUE] not holler, not hey, hey, hey. Just go [CLICKS TONGUE]. Got to get out in front of them a little and slow them down. Come over this way a little, just try. Good job.
REE DRUMMOND: It's a big day around here. It's my baby's birthday. Of course he's turning seven, so I don't know if that technically qualifies him as baby anymore. But he'll always be my baby. So I'm making him pancakes.
I decided to make lemon blueberry pancakes. So in here, I've got a cup and a half of cake flour, which I love using four pancakes, a heaping tablespoon of baking powder, 1/4 a teaspoon of salt. And because they're lemon blueberry pancakes, they're a little bit tart, so I offset that with three big tablespoons of sugar. And I'll just mix those together.
Now I've got some whole milk, and I squeezed the juice of one lemon in a little bit earlier and let it sit. So essentially, I've got a mixture that resembles buttermilk. Cracking in an egg and adding my weapon of choice with any pancake recipe, quite a bit of vanilla, and then I zested the lemon that I juiced earlier. So I'll just drop the lemon zest in, mix it up, and then pour this into the dry ingredients.
When I was growing up, every birthday, my mother would bring me breakfast in bed. Of course when you live on a ranch with kids that get up at 5:00 AM, breakfast in bed is not really possible. So we're going to have to settle for breakfast after they returned from work. He's been out with his dad working all morning.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
SPEAKER: Come on, crew.
LADD DRUMMOND: Here.
SPEAKER: Let's go. Let's go get some cattle.
LADD DRUMMOND: All four of them. Let's sort these guys and gals. We're going to let you all do all the work. Good job.
REE DRUMMOND: And then, I've got melted butter on the stove, another ingredient that I love to add to any pancake batter. It just gives them a great consistency when you're frying them. And then, finally, I'll fold in some blueberries.
Now I've got the griddle heating up, and I'm going to coat the griddle with melted butter.
[SIZZLES]
And then, I just use a 1/4 cup measure to drop the pancakes on, and then I'll just fry these till they're a nice golden brown on both sides. I just love Todd. He is such a bright spot in all of our lives. I cannot imagine our lives without him.
He was the sweetest little baby. Even when he was a little cranky, I thought he was the cutest thing on Earth. He started riding horses with his dad when he was two, and then he got old enough to ride all by himself, such a big boy. He's always been a peacemaker, and he's always, always, always made me smile. I just love that kid. I think I'll keep him.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
LADD DRUMMOND: Well, how are you all doing? Good?
SPEAKER: I'm hungry.
LADD DRUMMOND: You're hungry?
SPEAKER: Yeah.
LADD DRUMMOND: You're always hungry. I think mama's making some pancakes. Y'all want to go in and eat something real quick? All right.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
REE DRUMMOND: I'm going to fix my baby's plate for him, got to put a big pad of butter on top of course. And I've got maple syrup heating on the stove. Oh, gosh, yum. Here they come. Hey, it's the birthday boy. Happy birthday, baby.
TODD DRUMMOND: Thank you.
REE DRUMMOND: How are you? Hey, daddy.
LADD DRUMMOND: He's been working.
REE DRUMMOND: Happy birthday, baby.
LADD DRUMMOND: All right. How's that? Make a wish, son. Make a wish and then blow it out.
[BLOWS]
What'd you wish for?
TODD DRUMMOND: I can't tell you. It won't come true.
LADD DRUMMOND: All right, that's OK.
TODD DRUMMOND: It's a special wish, Dad, that I've been saving for my birthday. Riding the new spray truck.
LADD DRUMMOND: You're going to ride the new spray truck?
TODD DRUMMOND: Yeah.
LADD DRUMMOND: We can do that. You want to go spray some stuff?
SPEAKER: Yeah, let's spray some cattle.
LADD DRUMMOND: You want to go spray some cattle? We can do that.
REE DRUMMOND: Hey, honey. You want some pancakes?
LADD DRUMMOND: No, I think I've got to go back out Josh.
TODD DRUMMOND: Mmm, that is really good, Mama.
REE DRUMMOND: Bye, Daddy. Thanks.
LADD DRUMMOND: Bye, Mama.
REE DRUMMOND: Hey, Toddy, birthday picture.
SPEAKER 1: Happy birthday, Todd.
REE DRUMMOND: Next, we're cooking up a feast of mac and cheese and sliders with great toppings. You want some onions? And giving my baby Todd the birthday surprise of his life.
[SHOUTING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
The Lodge is our family guest house. We have get-togethers, family reunions, parties, events up there. The great thing about the Lodge is it's always clean and ready to go. The same cannot be said about my house. My seven-year-old is about to get the birthday surprise of his life.
It doesn't get more adult and kid-friendly than macaroni and cheese and little hamburgers. So that's what we're working on. I'm going to make the mac and cheese first because it can stay in the fridge for a while, and then I'll bake it later. I've got some butter melting on the stove, and I'll add some flour to that to make a roux.
When we have birthday parties for the kids around our place, we don't have pinatas and 50 kids running around. It's pretty much a family gathering, another excuse to get the family together. And I'm just whisking it together over a medium low heat.
My husband Ladd has both of our boys out on the ranch doing work. He's trying to keep our baby occupied, so he doesn't find out the secret about the surprise party.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
LADD DRUMMOND: You got to hold it up high like this, so you get on their backs, OK? OK, you want to go put spray truck up? Maybe we get something to eat [INAUDIBLE]
[MOOING]
TODD DRUMMOND: Yeah.
LADD DRUMMOND: Yeah? All right.
REE DRUMMOND: The roux has been bubbling for a few minutes. And now I'm going to add the milk. Whisk it as you add it. Now this needs to cook for a good five minutes to bubble up. So I'm going to add the macaroni to the boiling water.
I'm making 2 pounds of macaroni noodles. Don't be alarmed. I have a really large family to feed.
And then to this white sauce, I'm going to add some dry mustard. I really like the flavor of dry mustard, so I add quite a bit. I'm adding 4 teaspoons. But if you're not quite sure how you'll feel about it, add 2, and then give the white sauce a taste and see if you like it. Then, you can always add more.
Now, as if the white sauce isn't rich enough, I'm going to make it just a little bit richer by adding some beaten eggs. And it just kind of takes it over the top and makes it ultra decadent. But before I add the beaten eggs to the hot white sauce, I need to temper the eggs a little bit.
So while I whisk the eggs, I'll just drizzle in some of the hot white sauce. And just like you don't want to jump into a freezing cold pool, you don't want to pour beaten eggs into a really hot pan of sauce, or they'll turn to scrambled eggs. Whisk the white sauce and just drizzle them in slowly. The white sauce is really thick. It's really smooth, and it's really rich with the addition of the eggs.
I've got a bunch of grated sharp cheddar. I'm going to leave off a couple of cups of cheese because we'll need to top the finished macaroni and cheese with it. You just need to stir the grated cheese into the white sauce. And please resist the temptation to stick a large tablespoon in here and start eating it out of the pot. I speak from experience here.
Add a little bit of seasoning, a little bit of seasoned salt. This is optional, but just use whatever seasoned salt you have in your pantry, and black pepper. I like to use this what I call black dust. And the cheese sauce is done, and in goes the macaroni.
This is pretty much all I ate for the first 10 years of my life. It's the only reason I grew as a child, because I ate macaroni and cheese. Just stir it, make sure all the macaroni is evenly coated. Oh, my gosh. This looks so good. Can I borrow a fork?
It's done. Now we just need to pour it into the pans. Oh, my gosh. I mean, this is a lot of macaroni and cheese. Have you ever seen anything like this in your life? I'm almost ashamed, but only almost.
I do kind of wish I lifted weights for the past couple of months, though. This is heavy. Oh. And then, sprinkle the extra cheese on top. And that is about the most delicious looking mac and cheese in the world. And I think I probably should taste it just to make sure it's OK, for my children, of course.
And speaking of the children, I hope my baby hasn't found out about the surprise party yet. It's his first surprise party, so I'm hoping it all goes off without a hitch. Mhm. That is good.
Next, there's a big family birthday party about to happen-- I'm nervous-- with sliders and mac and cheese, a great sheet cake to decorate, and my seven-year-old is about to get the surprise of his life.
ALL: Surprise!
[MUSIC PLAYING]
REE DRUMMOND: It's my baby's birthday. We're getting ready for his first surprise party ever. I've got Paige over here making a chocolate sheet cake, which is Paige's specialty. She's going to pour the icing on, and I'm going to start making the sliders.
I thought sliders would be a little more fun than just regular-sized hamburgers or cheeseburgers. Plus, it's kind of a nod to the fact that this party is for my baby. Now I've seasoned some ground beef with salt and pepper.
And what you are seeing right now might shock you. I'm drizzling in some heavy cream for one very, very important reason. I want to. And with sliders, you really only have a couple of bites for the flavor to shine through, and it just makes for a really rich experience.
I'm also going to add a couple of dashes of Worcester sauce, a couple meaning six or seven. If a little is good, a lot is better. Hamburger meat is delicious on its own, but if you just sprinkle seasoning on the outside, you're sort of missing out. I like to flavor the whole thing.
Now, to make sliders, I use this two ounce scoop, which is pretty much a fourth of cup dry measure, if you want to use it that way. And that's how I make sure that the sliders are all the same size. Just drop it in your hand, form it into a quick patty. No need to be perfect or precise. That's not how things work around here.
And then, when I make sliders, I make a little indentation in the patty, and that keeps the slider from puffing up and becoming too bulky and tall when it goes on the grill. Paige, how you coming on the icing?
PAIGE DRUMMOND: Just got done.
REE DRUMMOND: Oh, Paigey. That looks gorgeous as ever. All right. You can set the cake over there, honey. Thanks, Paigey, for making the cake. And we'll see you party time, OK?
PAIGE DRUMMOND: OK.
REE DRUMMOND: Bye, Paigey.
PAIGE DRUMMOND: Bye.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Be sure not to tell Todd about the surprise birthday party at the garage, OK?
SPEAKER 1: OK, I won't.
PAIGE DRUMMOND: Because mom does not want you to tell him.
SPEAKER 1: OK, I won't.
REE DRUMMOND: Soon Todd's to come around that corner, and then we're going to jump out and say "surprise."
PAIGE DRUMMOND: Come on.
REE DRUMMOND: Oh, they're coming. OK, guys, guys, they're here. They're here. OK. Get in position.
TODD DRUMMOND: Good.
[CHATTER]
REE DRUMMOND: I'm nervous. Really loud surprise.
SPEAKER 2: Are they coming in?
SPEAKER 3: Shh.
ALL: Surprise!
TODD DRUMMOND: That scared me.
LADD DRUMMOND: Hey, Todd.
REE DRUMMOND: Surprise, Toddy.
LADD DRUMMOND: Surprise birthday party. How are you-- oh, man. Happy birthday.
REE DRUMMOND: Happy birthday.
TODD DRUMMOND: Thank you.
REE DRUMMOND: Happy birthday.
[CHATTER]
Oh, this is a big one.
[CHATTER]
Gosh. Oh.
LADD DRUMMOND: Oh. There you go.
TODD DRUMMOND: Spurs!
LADD DRUMMOND: Spurs.
REE DRUMMOND: Oh, that's a-- nice!
LADD DRUMMOND: Those are nice, Todd.
REE DRUMMOND: Nice.
TODD DRUMMOND: Thank you.
REE DRUMMOND: Oh.
SPEAKER 5: I can't get him up.
REE DRUMMOND: Toddy, look at Uncle Tim.
SPEAKER 5: Try that on and see will it fit.
TODD DRUMMOND: It fits.
LADD DRUMMOND: Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER 5: It's a good deal.
LADD DRUMMOND: Let's have him strut.
SPEAKER 5: Let me see.
REE DRUMMOND: Hey, those are fancy.
[CHATTER]
LADD DRUMMOND: [INAUDIBLE]
TODD DRUMMOND: Thank you, Mama.
REE DRUMMOND: Oh, baby. Happy birthday. Next, the cat's out of the bag, so it's all about food and fun. I'm making a tasty toppings bar. Ladd's manning the grill, and the kids are decorating the birthday cake.
[LAUGHS]
ALL: Happy birthday.
LADD DRUMMOND: Good job.
REE DRUMMOND: I'm going to go eat. For recipes from this episode, go to foodnetwork.com/pioneerwoman.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
SPEAKER 6: Come here. Open this.
REE DRUMMOND: Well, I suppose I could just serve macaroni and cheese and sliders at the party, but I want to make things a little more fancy. So I'm actually doing a macaroni and cheese and slider bar. I'm serving the two things with different toppings, and that way guests can just pile on whatever they like.
I've got some peppered bacon frying in the skillet. I've also got some onion slices that I've been cooking for a long time over low heat.
LADD DRUMMOND: Ree says that I do a better job of grilling than her, but I think it's just a trick to get me to do all the work out here when it's 100 degrees. If you get your fire right, I think it should take about five-six minutes a side on the slider.
REE DRUMMOND: Gorgonzola on burgers, I love it. I love the tanginess of the blue cheese. I love that it kind of gives the burgers an edge. I'll just crumble it up, chop up the bacon.
The idea with all the toppings is just to make everything really easy to grab with your fingers or spoon, little bit-sized bits. All right, piling the cheese and the bacon and the gorgeous, golden caramelized onions. That just makes everything taste delicious.
LADD DRUMMOND: All right, last two. I'm ready to go back into the air conditioner, might have a beer and cool off a little bit.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Hey, honey.
REE DRUMMOND: Sliders. Who wants to eat?
SPEAKER 7: Hey, Grammy.
REE DRUMMOND: We've got sliders, and we've got macaroni and cheese.
LADD DRUMMOND: What do you want on it, Todd?
REE DRUMMOND: You want some onions?
SPEAKER 8: I think I will.
REE DRUMMOND: You want some blue cheese, gorgonzola? Here, you got to get some of this stuff here.
SPEAKER 9: Thank you.
REE DRUMMOND: You're welcome.
[CHUCKLES]
Ah, I'm going to go eat. Did somebody order a birthday cake?
SPEAKER 10: Wow.
REE DRUMMOND: Just kidding.
[LAUGHS]
Ah. You guys want to decorate it?
SPEAKER 11: Yeah.
REE DRUMMOND: You guys can do it however you want. Just make sure it's edible when it's all said and done, OK?
LADD DRUMMOND: Who's that guy walking with that [INAUDIBLE], though.
ALL: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
REE DRUMMOND: All right. Make a wish, Todd.
[BLOWING AIR]
LADD DRUMMOND: Good job.
[CHEERING]
Happy birthday, Todd.
REE DRUMMOND: All right, Toddy. That's it. Another kid, another birthday. And we're ending with the best part.
SPEAKER 12: Their [INAUDIBLE] are growing up.
REE DRUMMOND: OK.
TODD DRUMMOND: I want that piece.
REE DRUMMOND: The bad news is he's already seven. The good news is he's not eight yet.
[MUSIC PLAYING]