Homemade Ranch
My intentions for this blog aren’t earth shattering. Some tips and tidbits from every day life. A spot where my mom can find all of our favorite recipes in one place. Maybe I’ll sprinkle in a few pics of the dogs or flowers or wildlife. Who knows.
So let’s get right to it. It’s Sunday. Arguably the biggest football game day of the year if you’re into that sort of thing (heads up: I’m from Pittsburgh so I most definitely am). And what’s the single most important thing you need for a proper celebration? It’s not the beer, the pizza or nachos.
No. It’s Ranch Dressing.
We’re talking homemade ranch. Perfect for dipping veggies, cooling down xxx-spicy wings, slathering on salads, and spooning directly into your mouth. Whatever floats your boat. Just float that boat right down a ranch dressing river through the hidden valley and out to the other side. That’s where the good stuff is.
Now if you’re using this as a dip, as I am, skew the recipe more heavily to sour cream to thicken. Alternatively, for a more fluid dressing you’ll want to increase the buttermilk. You should end up with 1 cup of liquid total. It's a good plan to start with 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayo, and 1/4 c buttermilk and check the consistency. Then finish off the final 1/4 cup with whatever you need for your dish -- for gameday dipping I chose sour cream.
Although you could substitute a ranch seasoning packet for the dried spices there is no need, you should have all the seasonings in your pantry already.
Ranch dressing is inherently perfect as-is, but feel free to customize to your liking. Personally, I like to add a lot of fresh dill to mine especially in the summer. If you want to spice it up try adding a dash of adobo sauce, a roasted and minced jalapeño, or a pinch of cayenne. Always taste and adjust to your liking.
Last pro-tip. If your parsley's gone limp you can rejuvenate it in an ice bath for 10-20 minutes. Dry it off and it should be ready for action. Store wrapped in a paper towel in a zipper baggie in the crisper drawer of the fridge.
Okay enough of the pre-game warmup. It’s go time.
Homemade Ranch
ingredients
1/2 c sour cream*
1/4 c mayonnaise*
1/4 c buttermilk*
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt (+/- to taste)
2 Tbs fresh parsley, minced (I used 10 sprigs)
instructions
Combine all the ingredients and stir until well incorporated.
*As mentioned above, you should have 1 cup of liquid total. Adjust the ratios of sour cream, mayo and buttermilk to your taste and needs (i.e. for a thinner dressing use 1/2 c buttermilk and reduce sour cream to 1/4 c)
This tastes best when made a few hours in advance and given time to rest in the fridge.
Store in a jar (the empty sour cream container works too!) in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.