Ree Drummond Uses This Frozen Store-Bought Shortcut Constantly (And You Should, Too)

The word "shortcut" has some negative and unfair connotations, especially when it comes to cooking. But time-saving options are actually a form of self-love, and no one knows this like Ree Drummond. The Pioneer Woman is a fan of one of our favorite frozen store-bought essentials: dinner rolls. If you take a gander at Drummond's selection of recipes, she uses this doughy ingredient to make calzones, pretzel dogs, and herby and garlic dinner rolls. They even make an appearance on her Thanksgiving Day table.

Sure, homemade Parker House rolls are delicious, but mixing, kneading, proofing, and forming perfectly shaped dinner rolls is labor intensive and time consuming. However, as the celebrity chef has demonstrated, this minimal effort option is easy to adapt for a variety of recipes and uses. Frozen, pre-made dough is ready to use, and it can be kept in the freezer for a long time. So grab a page out of Drummond's playbook because just as you can elevate store-bought dinner rolls, you can do the same with the frozen variety. 

Rhode's Bake N Serv is Ree Drummond's preferred brand, but you can use whatever option your local grocery store carries. Slather bacon grease on your frozen, store-bought dinner rolls for a rich finish, brush some melted butter and chopped herbs on them as they bake, or sprinkle a little savory or sweet seasoning like cinnamon sugar on top. No one will know you didn't spend hours baking, but your family and friends will enjoy eating them.

But don't limit yourself. You can repurpose and fashion frozen dinner roll dough into individual pizza pies, allowing your guests to customize their portions with the toppings of their choosing. Bake them up when you are making sliders, a sheet pan Caprese salad, or a yummy focaccia. What you will appreciate most about frozen dinner rolls is their consistency in taste and quality — in addition to being mess and hassle-free. So, the next time you want a big payoff with little effort, reach for frozen dinner rolls, and no one will be the wiser.