These summer days are hot, hot, hot here in the south and one way to keep cool besides living in the swimming pool or standing in front of an opened freezer door is with a cold salad tossed with Homemade Ranch Dressing.
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Down In The Valley
The story on Ranch Dressing was that it was birthed by a plumbing contractor, Steve Henson. He developed it while he worked in the Alaskan bush in the early 1950s. Then later he and his wife moved to California to open a dude ranch called Hidden Valley Ranch where they began serving their dressing to their customers. The demand for it led them to package and sell it to their customers to take home with them. Later they sold their brand, and the rest is history. Don't you just love a great American success story?
The fondest memory I have of Ranch Dressing was the way my MawMaw Trahan served it. She'd mix up a package of the dry mix with fresh buttermilk and mayo and toss it with some shredded cabbage. It was for those Sunday dinners (which was the noon meal). We'd regularly gather after Mass in her farmhouse home for our weekly dose of family connection.
It's a tradition that's carried into our own home today. We get to sit around the table with good food and catch up on what's been going on in each other's lives. I look forward to these visits. I get to cook for my family and spend time with my grandchildren who are growing up too fast. Hopefully, they'll have fond memories of our Sunday meals just like I do.
Easy Homemade Dressing
I've always preferred using the packaged dry ingredients to the bottled ranch dressing brands, but my favorite is homemade. It's so easy. The hardest part is chopping the fresh herbs, but I've discovered a shortcut to that also.
I'd like you to meet a few of my faithful friends. These freeze-dried herbs are always ready to use right in my refrigerator.
Let's begin with a pint-size mason jar and some mayonnaise. Either a store-bought or homemade one like this one, Homemade Mayonnaise With A Creole Kick. Next, add sour cream, buttermilk, and milk. The milk cuts the tartness of the buttermilk just a little.
Then I add fresh herbs and seasoning, and that's it!
Just screw the lid on and shake it 'til it makes it!
You'll have a dressing that's not full of unknown ingredients that you can't pronounce, but you'll know exactly what's in it.
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Homemade Ranch Dressing
A creamy and smooth tasting Homemade Ranch Dressing made with fresh ingredients. It's not too tangy and super easy to make.
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Ingredients
1 cup mayonnaise, homemade or store-bought
½ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon fresh green onion tops, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
¼ teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed
½ teaspoon ground mustard
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
Place all of the ingredients into a pint size mason jar screw on the lid.
Shake the jar until all of the ingredients are blended well.
Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for later use.
Notes
No need to chop garlic. Just give it a wack with the flat side of a large knife and toss it into the jar.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Sauces
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
Keywords: homemade ranch dressing
Salad In A Jar
This is an easy way to prepare a meal ahead of time to take with you to school, work, or play. All you do is fill the bottom of a container with the dressing then stack your favorite ingredients all the way to the top.
I was a little skeptical about how it would hold together overnight in the refrigerator, but it was fine. The lettuce still had a bite to it even though it was thoroughly covered in the dressing by the time it was emptied into a bowl.
Yum, yum!
Are you like me and find yourself with a refrigerator full of veggies that you bought just for salad making then end up throwing them out because you didn't feel like preparing it? Well not anymore. I'll be making these stacked jar salads over and again.
"Let God's promised shine on your problems." -
Corrie Ten Boom
