Ranch Dressing Recipe Round Up

Ranch dressing makes almost everything better – kick it up a notch and try one of these new twisted ranch recipes!

Ranch dressing lovers unite – or at least ‘meet me in St. Louis’ in June.

That’s when a new restaurant devoted entirely to ranch dressing will be opening here in St. Louis. According to their website, everything at Twisted RAnCh restaurant will be “Always Fresh, Always Delicious, and Always Twisted with Ranch.” Doesn’t this sound yummy:

Homemade Guacamole: Freshly made guacamole with onion, tomato, garlic, bacon and ranch.
Chicken Ranch Gyro: Slow roasted chicken served with pita bread, feta cheese, red onion and ranch tzatziki sauce.

Apparently they are featuring over 12 different flavors of homemade ranch dressing – I’m so excited.

So…why am I a Ranch Dressing Devotee? (So much so that I’ve even created a Ranch Dressing Devotee Pin Board) Well, the definition of Ranch Dressing says it all:

“…some combination of buttermilk, salt, garlic, onion, herbs (commonly chives, parsley, and dill), and spices (commonly black pepper, paprika, and ground mustard seed), mixed into a sauce based on mayonnaise….yogurt [is] sometimes used as a substitute to create a lower-fat version.”

The ‘foodie’ in me loves the combo of all those fresh spring herbs in the homemade version. The dietitian in me loves that it’s made with calcium- and protein-rich buttermilk and yogurt. But most of all, I love that ranch dressing is a wonderful vehicle for helping my kids not just eat, but enjoy their veggies.

And apparently, I’m not alone. Two other fellow dietitians and bloggers have written about how ranch dressing can be a healthy condiment:

Sally @ RealMomNutrition – In Defense Of Ranch Dressing
Katie @ MomToMomNutrition – Homemade Isn’t Always Healthier

So, while the chefs at Twisted RAnCh don’t know me from Adam, I thought I might help them out with posting a Ranch Dressing Round-Up in case they need a few more suggestions on ranch dressing creations. (Although I will say, their selection appears pretty extensive: Everything from spicy horseradish ranch and smoked paprika to teriyaki and Thai ranch!)

Grilled Potatoes with Vegan Ranch from Izzy @SheLikesFood
A grown-up version of French fries and ranch

Cilantro Jalapeno Ranch with Southwest Salad from Tamara @BeyondMereSustenance
Corn right off the cob + dynamite low-fat dressing with fresh lime, cilantro and jalapeno.

Avocado Ranch Dressing from Kristina @LoveAndZest
Extra creamy dressing for topping almost anything

Ranch Dressing Flavored Popcorn – Seriously, my favorite savory snack ever!

Are you a Ranch Dressing Devotee? What’s your favorite ranch dressing recipe?