Welcome to my ever-growing list of what I consider to be the best copycat the garden salad dressings and toppings that you can get at your favorite restaurants or in stores.










Welcome to my ever-growing list of what I consider to be the best copycat the garden salad dressings and toppings that you can get at your favorite restaurants or in stores.










Welcome to my ever-growing list of what I consider to be the best homemade garden salad dressings and toppings.














This creamy Italian salad dressing really hit the spot for me. It has a good dose of garlic. There’s a bit of the nuttiness from Parmesan. And just the right amount of Italian seasoning. I’m a big fan of creamy dressings. They are my weakness, for sure. I put a lot more on my salad than I should, I’m sure.

The original recipe for this creamy Italian salad dressing stated to just up and add 2 tablespoons of water to the mix before you blend it. I found that the dressing was too thin when I did this. I recommend that you blend the dressing without any water first. If you find it to be too thick, add a bit of water (maybe half a tablespoon at a time) and blend again. The dressing will get a bit thicker as it rests in the fridge, but not a lot thicker. You can’t take the water back out, so I would be light with it.
On the off-chance that you do make the dressing too thin by adding too much water, you can add a bit more mayonnaise and blend again. This will help thicken it up some.
Also try my roasted garlic Dijon salad dressing.

Nutritional values are approximate.
This creamy blue cheese salad dressing is easily my favorite blue cheese dressing. It’s so nice and creamy. And although it’s definitely ‘blue cheesy’ it’s not so overwhelming. Ya know, I love that blue cheese funk but I kinda have a limit to it. This dressing doesn’t cross that line, it sneaks up on it and gives it a big ole hug!

This creamy blue cheese salad dressing is, of course, great on a garden salad. And I assure you, it’s fantastic as a wing dip. It’s my go-to for wings. And chicken fingers. Oh and nuggets. That’s why I make a big ole batch of it and keep it in the fridge. And it’s great for dipping vegetables, too. Like I said, this is my favorite.
Want a great sub sandwich? Use this dressing in place of mayonnaise or a vinegar dressing.
Also try my homemade spicy Ranch salad dressing.
This dressing is great for dipping wings. Check out For The Wing for great wing ideas!

Nutritional values are approximate.
You know the old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? Well, that’s what I first thought after making this copycat Outback Steakhouse blue cheese vinaigrette. I mean, heck, it isn’t the most attractive dressing ever. But then I poured it over my fresh homemade garden salad and thought “Yee haw! Now THAT’S good!”. Two great flavors (a classic vinaigrette and blue cheese) come together to make me one happy guy. Give me extra, because I really love this dressing!

As much as I am a fan of blue cheese, I actually have a ‘blue cheese limit’. I just cannot do the big chunks. That’s the beauty of making this copycat Outback Steakhouse blue cheese vinaigrette at home. I got the blue cheese crumbles to be just my size. Perfect on a salad.
Also try my homemade creamy blue cheese salad dressing.

Nutritional values are approximate.
Sadly, the Ruby Tuesday’s that was near our home is long gone. Oh, how I do miss their salad bar. It was always well-stocked and super-cold. It was a happy time when I walked up with my plate and started to craft my salad creation. One of my favorite things on the bar, and the crowning piece for my salads, were the croutons. Perfectly crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, I would mound them up on my plate. True. Well, now I have to make my copycat Ruby Tuesday pumpernickel croutons instead. In addition, I love them just as much!

I’m pretty sure the croutons at Ruby Tuesday weren’t baked. I think that’s ok. However, and more importantly, these taste like the croutons I remember. And that was my goal of these copycat Ruby Tuesday pumpernickel croutons: to reproduce that memory.
I could only find a lighter pumpernickel the day I made these. The ‘real’ ones used a darker bread. Either way, you’ll love them.
Also try my copycat of the croutons from Outback Steakhouse.

Nutritional values are approximate.
This Catalina salad dressing is one of our all-time favorites. It’s quite easy to make and always delicious. And it uses ingredients that we almost always have on hand. That’s a definite plus too! This recipe makes about 2 cups, which might sound like a good bit of dressing, but trust me, it’s so good you’ll use it up fast.

The grated onion is one of the key ingredients in this Catalina salad dressing. Don’t skip it and don’t skimp on it. I used about a tablespoon, but you might want more. Or less. It takes a bit of effort to grate the onion, but the flavor it adds is so worth it.
This dressing gets even better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours. Just make sure to give it a good shake or stir before serving.
Also try my homemade creamy Carolina vinaigrette. It’s delicious!

Nutritional values are approximate.
Add copycat Outback Steakhouse croutons to my ever-growing list of things I have no self-control around. I love a crouton that is packed with flavor. The bread has to be crunchy, golden brown on the outside. And the inside has to be just a bit soft. Not like mushy soft, but softer than the crust. These croutons hit the spot and tested my ability to control myself like it hadn’t been tested in a long, long time.

Don’t over-melt the butter when you make these copycat Outback Steakhouse croutons. You want it a bit thick. Like the consistency of mayonnaise. That’s what you’re looking for. Me, I love Cajun seasoning, so I added extra. I like a little spiciness. Most salads don’t have any heat to them at all. No kick. Well, add a little extra seasoning and yours can.
This recipe calls for a whole loaf of Texas toast. That means you’ll get a lot of croutons. I do mean a lot. Enough for a big ole party or family get-together. You can easily cut the recipe in half and get a ‘manageable’ amount of croutons. Or make the entire thing and freeze any excess croutons for later.
Also try my copycat of Ruby Tuesday’s fantastic pumpernickel croutons!
This dressing is great for dipping wings. Check out For The Wing for great wing ideas!

Nutritional values are approximate.
I gotta have a little something, a little sweet, in my vinegar-based dressings. I am a fan of vinegar but sometimes it’s a bit strong for me. That’s where the sweet comes in. It tames that vinegar hit down, but keeps the vinegar flavor. This copycat Portillo’s sweet Italian salad dressing does just that. Super tasty balsamic vinegar meets up with just a bit of sugar, just enough, to make this a wonderfully smooth dressing. With a hint of garlic and oregano, this was the perfect dressing for my side salad tonight.

If you happen to have any leftover of this copycat Portillo’s sweet Italian salad dressing, make sure you give it one heck of a good long shake before serving it. The oil likes to separate from the vinegar. A good shake takes care of that.
I updated the original recipe to specify that you might want to add a bit more sugar and salt than stated. I made the dressing and then gave it a good taste. It needed something, so I added a pinch more of both sugar and salt. I gave it another good shake and tasted it again. Perfect!
Also try my homemade creamy Italian dressing.

Nutritional values are approximate.
This creamy Carolina vinaigrette kinda surprised me. I wasn’t sure about the combination of a mustard, vinegar and oil vinaigrette with buttermilk and mayonnaise added to make a creamy dressing. I was surprised by how much I loved it. This vinaigrette has a ton of flavor, from the ingredients I already mentioned along with a few spices, onion and a little honey sweetness. There are a few ingredients in this, and they all join together for something decidedly different and tasty!

I found the recipe for this creamy Carolina vinaigrette in Kardea Brown’s The Way Home cookbook. It’s packed with tons and tons of great recipes (Kardea never disappoints!), but if you know me, I’m always on the lookout for great salad dressing recipes. And I found one!
This vinaigrette is on the thinner side. Even though it says ‘creamy’, don’t let that make you think creamy, like say ranch dressing. It is different (in a good way) than just a straight-up vinaigrette. Don’t use light mayonnaise or light buttermilk and you’ll have the perfect topping for any garden salad. The dressing also gets a bit thicker after it has set in the fridge overnight.
Also try my smoky French salad dressing.

Nutritional values are approximate.