Hi Tikanas!

This is the recipe that we like:

Ranch Dressing/Dip

1 cup mayonnaise (use 1/2 sour cream for dip)
1/4 cup buttermilk, (more to thin for dressing)
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp worchestershire
1/4 tsp garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic, minced)
1/2 tsp onion powder (or 2 T fresh minced chives or scallion)
1/4 tsp salt
1 T parsley flakes

Combine ingredients, whisk until smooth. Chill before serving.

Cindy

That looks really good Cindy. Copying and pasting.... Tikanas, you can always add fresh snipped dillweed too.

Thanks, Cindy! I will use your recipe!

Beverly, that's a great addition!

Tikanas

I know that you said "ranch", but one of our local restaurants serves the following dressing instead of ranch. I have found that even the most die-hard ranch lovers love this one too.

Water Street Seafood Restaurant Walnut Dressing

2 each Green Onions (chopped fine)
1 tspn Parsley (minced)
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
2 ½ tspns Salt
½ tspn White Pepper
2 tspns Paprika
1 Tblspn Dried Tarragon Leaves
3 Tblspns Sugar
½ Cup Finely Chopped Walnuts
3 Tblspns Tarragon Vinegar
3 ½ coups Mayonnaise
¾ cup Buttermilk

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in refrigerator for up to 10 days. Makes 1 quart.

Water Street Seafood Restaurant
Corpus Christi, Texas

Ranch Dressing

1/2 cup Hellmann's real mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon minced onion
3/4 teaspoon salt (or 1 teaspoon kosher salt)
dash ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon dill weed

Stir together all ingredients and refrigerate at least two hours before serving to blend flavors.

*Try adding more fresh ground pepper and 1/4 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese for Parmesan peppercorn dressing. Omit buttermilk to serve as a dip.
**This dressing will thicken as it sets in the refrigerator and you may want to add more buttermilk for your desired consistency.

Marilyn

Thanks you guys! I am going to make all 3 and we'll have a taste test before Christmas where "the winner" will be served.

Tikanas

Tikanas, great idea! Please report back so I will know if I need to change recipes. I rarely eat Ranch dressing but the kids in our family do so I want to be sure I make a good one to take to our Christmas gathering.

Marilyn

Well, knock me over with a feather!!.....
I have been avoiding "ranch" dressing for years because it used to always have a couple of teaspoons of MSG in it.....and that gives me a blinding headache.
I LOVE Ranch dressing......and will try one of the home made ones......without MSG.
Thanks!!
Linda C

All those recipes look really good. I love Ranch Dressing so much that I sometimes eat it by the spoonful by itself. Only homemade of of course!

I can vouch for Marilyn's recipe. We love it. The only change I make is to use chives instead of dill. And if I want to use it as a base for pasta salad, I just omit the buttermilk and use buttermilk powder so it will be thicker.

Tracey, I am not sure I understand you using the Ranch dressing on pasta. Is this a new idea that I have missed?

When I worked in the local high school cafeteria on the salad bar, kids would use ranch dressing to dip their french fries. I guess they use it for all kinds of things now.

I think Tracey means on a cold pasta salad, I've often herd of using ranch dressing on pasta salads.

You're right Sharon. I make a cold pasta salad with bacon, carrots, peas, tomatoes, cheese, artichoke hearts, and maybe some chopped hard boiled eggs. Betty Crocker makes a Ranch boxed pasta salad, which is where I got the idea.