You can tell just by the picture how much I love this copycat Bob’s Big Boy blue cheese salad dressing. There’s no way I could’ve fit more into my dressing cup. This is my kind of dressing. Perfectly creamy. Just enough blue cheese flavor to wake up my taste buds without being too ‘funky’. A little sour cream tang. And crazy easy to make. This is a win on every front. I could drink this dressing.
Self-Control Isn’t Always My Thing
I try to be good. Really, I do. I try to not put too much of this copycat Bob’s Big Boy blue cheese salad dressing on my salad. I even got these great little cups to help me out. The idea is that I fill them with the dressing and leave the bottle or container of dressing in the kitchen. Far away. Out of sight. It usually works. Though I almost cheated this time. I definitely put as much dressing in my cup as would fit.
Wings. Dip. Anything.
I also use this dressing for dipping chicken wings. It’s also fantastic for dipping vegetables. Try it! And make extra!
This copycat Red Lobster creamy Caesar salad dressing reminded me that there isn’t enough Caesar dressing in my life. I keep forgetting how good it is. Nice and creamy. A little tangy. Kinda garlicky but not too much so. Wait… anchovy paste? Yes. If you fear the anchovy, don’t. Embrace it. It’s not overpowering, not even. But this dressing needs it. And you need it.
It Tastes Fancy.
There’s nothing complicated here. You’re not going to make a mess of the kitchen when you make this copycat Red Lobster creamy Caesar salad dressing. Five ingredients and a little time and you’ll be enjoying tastes-fresh-made goodness.
A Little Control.
Need help with self-control around great salad dressings? I do. A lot. So I use these little sauce cups. The idea is that I put all the dressing I need (not necessarily want) into the cup and put that on my plate. I leave the bottle or container of the rest of the dressing in the kitchen. Far away. Out of sight. Not out of mind, but far away that I might resist going and getting more. That’s touch to do around great dressings like this one.
I’ve made my share of copycat recipes. Some come out great, tasting and even looking like the original. Some… meh. Well this copycat Kraft Catalina salad dressing is even better than the original. That same fantastic French dressing-like flavor. A little tangy. A little sweet. And just the perfect consistency for a salad. For me, it’s spot-on what I am looking for in any dressing, be it a copycat or not.
There Goes The Self-Control. Again.
I have to exercise self-control around this copycat Kraft Catalina salad dressing. Or try to at least. I’m pretty heavy-handed with my dressing, specially if it’s one I love as much as this one. Instead of serving it in a bottle or cruet, I use some small sauce cups. The theory is that I put one serving of dressing into a cup and put that on my plate. That’s the theory anyways.
Perfect For Dunking, Too
I’ve been known to dunk my salad ingredients in my dressing. These little cups (that were supposed to be for portion control) make that even easier. Just poke that little piece of broccoli or cherry tomato or whatever, and into the dressing pool we go! This dressing is so good that dunking is not only allowed, it’s encouraged!
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!
Is There A Such Thing as Too Much Blue Cheese?
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.
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.
Make it Your Way
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.
Croutons and More Croutons
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.
Cut the bread into bite-sized pieces. I cut mine into 1" cubes. Transfer to two large baking sheets and bake for 8 or so minutes or until golden brown but NOT crunchy. You're more after color than doneness at this point. Remove and let cool.
Place butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds or more until the butter is just soft but NOT melted. You want it to be the consistency of mayonnaise.
Add the garlic and seasoning to the butter and mix well.
Transfer half of the butter mixture to a large bowl and add half of the bread cubes. Stir gently with a spatula or large spoon to coat well. Transfer the coated cubes back to a baking sheet. Repeat with the other half of the butter mixture and bread cubes.
Bake cubes another 10-20 minutes or until the croutons have the desired doneness, stirring every few minutes. For me this was about 10 minutes. I like my croutons to be crunchy on the outside and a little soft on the inside.
Remove from the oven and cool before serving.
Notes
You can substitute thick white bread or French bread for the Texas toast.
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.
Shake Before Serving
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!
I have an addiction to Ranch dressing. It’s probably the reason I love wings so much. I can use wings as an excuse to feed my dressing habit. This copycat Outback Steakhouse Ranch salad dressing didn’t help me control my habit at all. In fact, it’s worse now. I wanted to drink this dressing out of the bottle. I didn’t even care if anyone was watching. It’s perfectly buttermilk-y. Perfectly creamy. And it has just the right hint of garlic. Man, oh man, do I love this dressing!
Let it Rest
Make sure that you let this copycat Outback Steakhouse Ranch salad dressing rest at least 30 minutes before serving. Overnight is even better. Just give it a little stir before serving. You’ll get about 2 cups of dressing from this recipe. I’d call that 12 servings, but it really depends on how much you love dressing. If you’re normal, you’ll likely get more servings. If you’re like me, a true Ranch-aholic, you’ll be happy if you get the full 12 servings!
Of course, this dressing is also perfect (in flavor and consistency) for dipping your favorite vegetables. It’s not just for wings! I mean, salads.
Cover bowl and chill the dressing for at least 30 minutes before serving.
If dressing is too thick add a bit of buttermilk (a little at a time) and whisk.
Stir before serving.
Notes
Although you can use low-fat buttermilk, full-fat makes for the best dressing.Need ideas for putting together the ultimate salad? Check out my salad inspirations!
