Ree Drummond on Cooking With Her Idols for ‘A Very Brady Renovation: Holiday Edition’
Preview
You’re invited to Christmas dinner with the Bradys!
In this nostalgic special, all six original kid cast members from the bell-bottom-era sitcom The Brady Bunch return to the suburban L.A. home they transformed into a real-life version of their set. And joining them in the iconic orange-and-avocado–hued kitchen is superfan Ree Drummond.
“It was surreal,” the Food Network’s Pioneer Woman says of cooking with her childhood TV idols. “I watched the show every day after school. I memorized episodes and scenes and felt like the characters were my siblings.” In fact, she admits she caused many retakes because she kept addressing the actors by their TV names.
Above, from left, that’s Susan Olsen (Cindy), Mike Lookinland (Bobby), Eve Plumb (Jan), Christopher Knight (Peter), Maureen McCormick (Marcia) and Barry Williams (Greg) with Drummond and Jasmine Roth, who chimes in with seasonal decorating projects.
(Credit: Food Network)
For their throwback menu, Drummond drew inspiration from the ingredients used in her grandmother’s red Formica kitchen in Oklahoma. “I knew there had to be some kind of Jell-O mold situation, because that’s a must at any vintage ’70s holiday,” she says. They also update fondue into a cheesy mashed potatoes dish and whip up a classic French onion soup mix that helps make a turkey golden brown.
“When Greg [Williams] made his toast, it was this hold-back-the-tears moment,” Drummond says. “It reminded me of everything that’s good in the world.”
A Very Brady Renovation: Holiday Edition, Monday, Dec. 16, 10/9c, HGTV & Sunday, Dec. 22, 1/noon c, Food Network
