Homemade Ranch Dressing

How to Make Homemade Ranch Dressing

Today's homemade item is one I have been doing since the Christmas holidays when I needed ranch dressing and didn't feel like running to the store for the umpteenth time that week ... which led me to grab my phone and start searching.  My favorite go to place is allrecipes.com where I have options and ratings to help me make a quick decision.  There are times I will combine a couple different recipes based on what is available and this is where I get myself into trouble!  If it is a success and I didn't take the time to write exactly what I did down, its success usually is short-lived and remains only a "one hit wonder" ;-p!

The homemade ranch dressing recipe I use was adapted from Ranch Dressing II by Dawnia.

My desired outcome was like a restaurant house ranch that is thinner and so much more delicious than any bottled ranch dressing.  After following the recipe, I decided it could be thinned down just a bit, so I added about 1 cup of my homemade buttermilk to the mix.

Homemade Restaurant Style Ranch Dressing 

1 cup mayonnaise ... holding out a bit on the homemade mayo, the raw egg thing gets me!
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp dried chives ... I like it a little more chivey :)
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 to 1 cup buttermilk depending on preferred consistency

Mix all ingredients except for buttermilk together.  Add buttermilk until you reach your desired consistency, it will thicken slightly in the fridge.  Store in an airtight container.  Can be used immediately, but it's best after a few days of chillin'.

I have started mixing my ingredients together right in my pint size jar, stir, top off with my buttermilk, stir, close, and refrigerate.  When is time to serve, give it a quick last minute shake and you are ready to go.  You can always add additional buttermilk if you like.

Additional Cost: dill weed (~$1.50 for 0.2 oz) & dried chives (~$4 for 0.1 oz) - 15 to 20 batches worth
Total Cost: approximately $0.70 per 16 oz bottle
Savings: anywhere from $0.30 (if on sale) to $3 or more
Environmentally Friendly: eliminating those plastic bottles

Today's question: What's your thought about homemade mayonnaise?