Homemade Ranch Dressing

Save money and eat healthier with this homemade dressing recipe! No sugar, no MSG, (which is in a lot of popular dressings) and no hydrogenated oils.









You'll need:

3/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 T. onion powder
1 T. dried parsley
1/2 t. dried basil
1/2 t. dried oregano
salt and pepper



Add milk, herbs and spices to a canning jar. A pint (16oz) jar is 2 cups so you don't have to measure the milk; simply fill the jar less than 1/2 full. Screw the lid on tight and shake vigorously. Remove the lid and fill the jar almost to the top with mayonnaise. Shake again to incorporate the mayo.


This dressing benefits from sitting in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or more. This step is not necessary, but alllowing the mixture to sit for awhile will help it set up and thicken.

* If you are using this dressing for cooking, like in my favorite Chicken Dip, cut back on the mayo a little and increase the milk. It makes a runnier dressing but heats up better.

Substitutions:

This recipe (like a lot of my other recipes) is not a precise combination and you can substitute quite a few ingredients depending on what you have on hand.

• Milk - You can use 1/2 & 1/2, cream, yogurt or sour cream if you happen to be out of milk.
• Mayonnaise - I do prefer the taste of mayo in my dressing but in a pinch, yogurt or sour cream will work.
• Onion Powder - this ingredient is really key to a traditional ranch dressing. Garlic doesn't give the same flavor. If you have no onion powder, you can finely mince fresh onion as a substitute. Dried minced onion also works but you can't skip the refrigeration period as the minced onion has to have time to soften and meld with the other flavors.
• Herbs - Use any combination of the following: parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, garlic, etc. Add more if you like the flavors!

Use this ranch dressing on your favorite salad or in recipes like my Chicken Dip!