Bored with Ranch dressing? Well, then you need a Ranch dressing that is like no other: Bolthouse Farms Everything Seasoned Ranch Salad dressing. The fine folks at Bolthouse Farms start with their already-delicious Ranch and add garlic (yum!), onion (yum!) and toasted sesame oil (boom!). Then you go drink it out of the bottle. No, I’m kidding about that part. Well mostly. It’s darned good dressing, you’ll be tempted to drink it!
The Perfect Balance
Ok, I gotta confess. Me and sesame oil don’t always like each other. There’s some magical point at which it becomes too much for me. Well, not in this case. Bolthouse Farms Everything Seasoned Ranch salad dressing doesn’t cross my sesame oil line. It has that great toasted flavor without being too strong.
We both declared this smoky spicy Ranch salad dressing to be one of our favorites. And that was after just one bite of a salad lightly drizzled with the dressing. It brings a good bit of heat, there’s no doubt, thanks to the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. And a bit of smokiness thanks also to the chipotles in adobo sauce. And then there’s classic Ranch flavor, thanks, well, to the Ranch dressing mix! It might seem like there are a good number of ingredients to make a dressing, but trust me, it’s more than worth it.
What Ranch Dressing Should Be
As with a lot of dressings, smoky spicy Ranch salad dressing is much better if it has had a chance to sit overnight in the fridge. The flavors get ‘happy’. Just give the dressing a quick stir before serving. I like to make and keep my dressings in Mason jars. When it comes time to serve it, I just give the dressing a few good shakes first.
This dressing would also make for a great dip for vegetables. It would also be fantastic for dipping chicken nuggets or tenders.
Franch dressing is proof that sometimes easy is truly best. I could’ve made some French dressing from scratch. And I could’ve made some Ranch dressing from scratch. But hey, it was a busy week night and I wanted something a little different. So out came the bottled dressings. A little stirring and boom, done. And what a delicious combination the two make! Quick fix Franch dressing is way better than just French and just Ranch dressings. The two are better together.
The Perfect Flavor Combination
I used a creamy French dressing and a buttermilk Ranch dressing when I made quick fix Franch dressing. You could also use a sweet French dressing, but to offset the sweetness you might want to then use a spicy Ranch or even a Buffalo Ranch dressing. Play with it. There’s no wrong answer here. You can’t make a bad dressing when you start with two great ones.
This parmesan and peppercorn ranch salad dressing kinda confused me at first. I love ranch dressing. I love peppercorn ranch dressing. And parmesan, well I put that on everything. But when I first tasted it my mouth was like ‘What are you doing to me? Everything we love in one bite?’ Yep. That’s exactly what I was doing. This dressing is a wonderful combination of all those flavors. Get ready for a happy salad! (And mouth!)
Not Creamy Smooth. But Close.
This parmesan peppercorn ranch salad dressing has parmesan in it. I know, you know that. But I’m saying it because you might expect a creamy, smooth dressing like ranch. And it is that… with a little nutty cheese added in. The cheese adds not only flavor but texture. It’s kinda different and a whole lot yummy.
Combine the Parmesan cheese, yogurt, salt, mayonnaise, pepper, green onion, and parsley in a medium bowl.
If you want the dressing thinner you'll want to add the milk, a little at a time. While whisking, slowly add some of the milk. Whisk and see if the consistency is how you want it. If you want it thinner continue adding and whisking until you've got it how you want it.
Taste and add more salt and Parmesan as desired.
Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight before serving.
Notes
For the best results, use freshly-grated Parmesan.
So simple, yet so tasty, this honey-mustard ranch salad dressing really topped off the side salads we had with our burgers the other day. Using ingredients we had on hand, this dressing came together in no time. It has a light ranch flavor. One that’s not overpowering. Ditto the Dijon mustard. Some mustard dressings are, well, too mustardy. Not this one. You get the hints of without it reaching out to grab you. Last, there’s a slight hint of sweetness to balance it out, specially the vinegar. This is a great all-around winner of a salad dressing.
The Perfectly Balanced Dressing
If you have buttermilk on hand, you could use it instead of the milk and vinegar mixture. But it’s easy enough to make a quick homemade version instead. This honey-mustard ranch salad dressing is great either way. I prefer to have it ‘get happy’ in the fridge overnight, but it’s great after 15 minutes of rest too. If you do let it go overnight, I recommend tasting it before serving. You might want to add a pinch or two more of salt and pepper to it first.
In a small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar. Let set for 5 minutes.
In another small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, honey, oregano and garlic powder. Whisk in the milk mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
Cover and refrigerate at least 15 minutes before serving. Stir before serving.
Notes
Use whole milk and full-fat mayonnaise for the best results.
We recently spent a few days at the Dollywood DreamMore Resort and Spa. We had such a wonderful time there. From driving up, to the room, to the staff, everything was great. One of the biggest highlights was the buffet. Normally when you think buffet you think low quality food, mostly out of cans or boxes. That’s definitely not the case at the DreamMore. Everything was made from scratch and everything was out-of-this-world delicious. It was the buffet from heaven.
One of the things I loved the most at the DreamMore, interestingly enough, was the house-made dill Ranch salad dressing. It was delicious. I could’ve just drank it out of the bottle. I knew instantly that I had to make some when I got home. Now, this version is mighty good, too, but I’m pretty sure that the DreamMore version used fresh herbs (they had a nice herb garden right outside of the restaurant). Even still, this is delicious and a perfect alternative to ‘normal’ Ranch.
The Resting Time Is Not Optional
Do not be tempted to rush the 1 hour rest time that this dill Ranch salad dressing needs. Those dry herbs need time to make the dressing happy. I really love dill so I added a bit more than the recipe calls for. More dill, more better I think.
Add more milk (a little at a time) if you want the dressing to be thinner. Don’t go crazy with it, though.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using. Stir again before serving.
Notes
For the best results use full-fat sour cream, mayonnaise and milk, though lighter versions can be substituted you’ll get a thinner less creamy and rich dressing.
My go-to meal at Texas Roadhouse is the Chicken Critter Salad. Tender fried chicken pieces on top a simple salad is what I like. What I crave, though, are the dressings. This copycat Texas Roadhouse Ranch salad dressing is a pretty close copy of my favorite. And I do mean favorite. I could drink this stuff. I always order two dressings at the restaurant. Without hesitation. Without fear of being judged. I am sure I’m not the only one.
I know what you’re probably thinking. He goes to a steakhouse for a salad? Yeah, I do. It’s a really good salad, with a really great dressing that I can now enjoy at home!
The Perfect Ranch Dressing
I always double the ingredients in this copycat Texas Roadhouse Ranch salad dressing. Not only is it great on my sorta-copycat of the Chicken Critter salad, it’s fantastic for dipping Buffalo wings and chips. It’s also perfect as a veggie dip for an afternoon snack. I also need more because well, I use a lot of it!
I have an addiction to Ranch dressing. It’s probably the reason I love wings so much. I can use wings as and 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.
