Maybe I don’t get out enough. Maybe I have been unlucky. Either way, I have never heard of putting cottage cheese into a salad dressing until I found this creamy and cheesy ranch salad dressing. It was a ‘wow’ moment for me. The cottage cheese adds a creaminess that really boosts this dressing. Packed with nutty Parmesan and hints of classic Ranch, this dressing is great on a salad.
The Skinny On Flavor
I didn’t go ‘skinny’ when I made this creamy and cheesy Ranch salad dressing. No low-fat cottage cheese. No light buttermilk. I was committed to having a nice-and-thick dressing that would stick to my salad and not make a ‘dressing lake’ on my plate. You go can that route if you want. I went big. And my efforts were rewarded!
To keep myself from overindulging, I served the dressing in these cups.
I love a good ole super-crunchy coleslaw. Like grandma would make. Or buy in the grocery store. And it has to be super-cold, too. And served right out of the fridge. This country coleslaw is a simple dish that satisfies my slaw needs, but with a twist (for me, at least) and that’s pickle relish. I’ve never had sweet pickle relish (or any relish) in a slaw before. It adds a fantastically different flavor and tang to the slaw. It makes this salad a real winner!
Spice It Up!
This country coleslaw is a little sweet. If you want to liven it up a bit, add a little chopped jalapeno (just seed it first). Grandma might not like that, so you can always serve the jalapeno on the side and let people embellish theirs as they wish.
You can substitute that bagged shredded slaw mix for the cabbage and carrot to save yourself some time. You’ll need a 14-ounce bag to equal the head of cabbage.
I am always looking for new salad dressing recipes for Salad Week. Something to change things up. We usually have salad week if we have over-indulged the week before or if we have eaten out too many meals while traveling. This copycat TGI Friday’s Mandarin orange sesame dressing is so good! The orange marmalade and the honey balance out the sesame oil. Sesame oil is such a strong flavor so you can use a little less if preferred, but I love the taste of it. I like that it has chopped Mandarin oranges for texture. I also added Mandarin oranges to the salad to tie it all together. Salad week is always great thanks to great dressings like this one!
Oh my goodness me. How happy were we when we made this copycat Texas Roadhouse French salad dressing! We love grabbing a big ole salad for lunch at Texas Roadhouse (the chicken critter salad is a winner), and French is always a great choice as the dressing. Well, this recipe nails that great flavor big time. This is one of our all-time favorite dressings.
Incredibly Yummy
This copycat Texas Roadhouse French salad dressing is the reason we have to put our dressing in individual dressing serving cups on our plates. We absolutely cannot be trusted with a container of this dressing nearby. Sorry, but self-control goes out the window when this dressing shows up. It’s incredibly delicious.
Minced or Grated?
We finely minced the onion for this dressing, but you could also grate it for a little smoother texture. Grated onion tends to be a bit stronger than it’s minced cousin, so you might want to use a little less and taste as you add to see if you need the entire onion.
Let It Rest To Be It’s Best
You really do want the dressing to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. We actually prefer for it to ‘get happy’ in the fridge overnight. Just stir before serving and you’re ready to eat!
Boy oh boy did this copycat Pizza Hut creamy Italian salad dressing ever bring back memories. I was addicted to this dressing, especially in my college years when you could pick up a personal pan pizza or a hot sub and a side salad for cheap. I’d always ask for extra dressing. I could drink this stuff. I was so happy that this recipe came as close to the original as I’ve found. The right flavor. And the right consistency.
Ranch and Xanthan Gum for the Win
There are two keys to making this copycat Pizza Hut cream Italian dressing as close to the original as possible. The first is to use a quality Ranch dressing. One that’s full of flavor. For me, that means Hidden Valley Ranch original. The second is xanthan gum. Found in just about every store-bought food item you can find, it’s a thickener. It’s what gives this dressing that great thickness. A little goes a long ways, so just add the little amount the recipe calls for and let it do its thing.
This dressing is great on a sub sandwich too. Like really great!
Place all but the xanthan gum into a food processor or blender.
Process until smooth and combined.
Add the xantham gum and process a little more until thick.
Notes
Stir dressing before serving. Store in the fridge until ready to use.Need ideas for putting together the ultimate salad? Check out my salad inspirations!
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’ve been waiting for good, fresh strawberries to show up at our local grocery store so I could make this copycat Panera strawberry poppy seed dressing. My patience was definitely rewarded and then some. This could easily be my favorite salad dressing of all time. Smooth strawberry flavor with just a bit of sweetness. White balsamic vinegar, while not as cheap as the dark version, is more mellow and adds a great tang. This dressing looks as amazing as it tastes, too. It’s a big ‘ooooh’ and ‘ahhhh’ winner on the table.
What Is White Balsamic Vinegar?
I was curious what makes white balsamic vinegar more subtle and rich than the dark version, so I Googled it. Turns out dark balsamic vinegar is aged for at least twelve years in barrels that have been fired and were previously used for other batches of balsamic vinegar. White balsamic vinegar, on the other hand, is aged at least twelve years in new barrels that have not been fired or used before. That explains the cleaner, smoother flavor! It’s perfect in this copycat Panera strawberry poppy seed dressing.
Other Berries Work Too!
You can substitute other berries for the strawberries if you want. Raspberries and black berries are great. Or even try peaches. I think this recipe will work well with any good in-season fruit.
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!
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.
Boy, oh boy, did this copycat Marzetti Classic Original slaw dressing ever hit the spot. I was looking for that great Marzetti flavor but in a homemade version that, if I wanted to, I can play with a bit. A little less vinegary perhaps. A little sweeter maybe. Or just like the original. I can make the call. This is good stuff and it makes for a mighty good coleslaw!
Mighty Good
This copycat Marzetti Classic Original slaw dressing is much like the great dressing you can find in your grocer’s refrigerated section (by the packaged salads and refrigerated salad dressings). Creamy with a bit of that vinegar ‘tang’ and a little sweetness. This recipe makes enough for a 14 ounce bag of slaw mix. By ‘makes enough’ I mean the slaw will be nicely dressed but not overly so. If you like a coleslaw with a whole lot of dressing, you’ll either have to make more or grab some at the store!
