21 Day Fix Recipes: 21 Day Fix Ranch Dressing Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is everything ranch dressing? ›

Creamy texture and classic Ranch taste meet popular Everything flavors with garlic, onion and sesame. No artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors or colors from artificial sources.

How do you thicken store-bought ranch dressing? Add more mayonnaise. Ranch dressing = mayonnaise + buttermilk + garlic + herbs (usually dill). Adding more mayo will thicken it without introducing flavors that aren't already there.

This might seem obvious, but you can add a lot of flavor to ranch dressing by adding more of what's already in it. I love adding lots of fresh herbs, extra garlic, or even lemon zest.

Scratch ranch relies on fresh herbs and aromatics, which bring bite and those pops of grassy flavor that dried or powdered versions never can, so you get an eating experience that is elevated. Usually, ranch recipes will contain fresh buttermilk, and sometimes sour cream as well, for a tang that is really balanced.

Vegetable Oil (Soybean and/or Canola), Water, Buttermilk, Sugar, Salt, Less than 1% of: Spices, Garlic (Dried), Onion (Dried), Vinegar, Phosphoric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Monosodium Glutamate, Natural Flavors, Disodium Phosphate, Sorbic Acid and Calcium Disodium EDTA Added to Preserve Freshness, Disodium Inosinate & ...

It's a combination of creaminess (from buttermilk, sour cream, sometimes mayonnaise) and herbaceousness (often parsley, thyme, dill), plus a long pull of allium (onion and garlic) and a shot of black pepper.

My favorite restaurant ranch dressing could be completely different from your favorite restaurant ranch dressing. To be honest, a lot of restaurants just mix a TON of mayonnaise with some buttermilk and the Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix and call it a day.

I use a mix of mayonnaise, sour cream, and a bit of buttermilk for some tang, plus garlic, and plenty of fresh herbs. I also like to add a dash of cayenne pepper for a kick, but you can add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, or whatever you want. Ranch dressing is fun to customize!

The list of Hidden Valley seasoning mix packets is plentiful, so be sure to look for the one proclaiming to be the buttermilk receipt. From there, get creative. Add some heat with cayenne, throw in some fresh herbs, or take your homemade ranch dressing up a notch by adding lavender.

In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream, and mayonnaise until smooth. Whisk in thyme, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Why does Hidden Valley Ranch taste different? ›

The ranch packet has a fresher taste, because you add your own mayo and milk. Even though all the herbs and spices in the mix are dried, they rehydrate quickly and leave you with a product that feels homemade. This version of Hidden Valley Ranch is more flavorful than the bottled version and much, much thicker.

It tastes like its ingredients. It's a cream based dressing, so should be creamy of course. Basically, the base of the flavor should be a tang of buttermilk(or sour cream), then hints of the rest of its ingredients. Those should be salt, garlic, onion, chives, mustard, dill, parsley.

There's An Interesting Story Behind Its Name

Back in 1949, Steve Henson invented ranch dressing while working in the Alaska bush. The dressing was an attempt to get grouchy, finicky bush workers to eat their vegetables. Turns out, it worked.

Generally speaking, the healthiest salad dressing will be a vinaigrette like balsamic or oil and vinegar, while Caesar, ranch or anything with the word “creamy” will be the unhealthiest.

Most restaurants don't buy pre packaged ranch. They buy hidden valley seasoning and mix it themselves with ingredients they already have.

Ranch was not invented in the Midwest, but thanks to our parents blanketing any food most of us breadbasket kids used to eat, it was deeply ingrained in our psyche as an all-purpose utility sauce.

While they both have the delicious ranch flavor the dip is much thicker than the dressing. The use of something thick and creamy like sour cream is used to make the dip. While on the other hand buttermilk s used to make the dressing.