In my personal opinion, Ranch Dressing is the greatest condiment ever invented. It's versatility surpasses even ketchup (sorry Pittsburghers), and anything that can make celery palatable can't possibly be bad. Unfortunately, Ranch is not so kind to my midsection, especially as I get older, and let's face it, low fat and non-fat Ranch sucks. There's just no nice way to put it. I'm pretty sure I've tried almost every kind under the sun, and nothing even compares to that Ranch-y goodness you get at your favorite wing joint. Home versions also failed miserably, until last week. At first I didn't believe it. Texture was good, consistency was good, it even looked and smelled like Ranch. I somewhat dubiously reached for the celery, mostly expecting another epic fail....
And it was awesome. In fact, I found myself going to the fridge to find out what else I could put this stuff on. The second batch turned out even better (my guinea pig stated that the first attempt was tasty, but a little thin- oddly, I used the exact same recipe for the second batch but a different brand of base ingredient and it turned out thicker) Low-fat and wing worthy, a feat never before accomplished in all my years as a Ranch aficionado. You may disagree, but that's the great thing about this dish- whatever it is for you, ultimately, you are the only one who has to be satisfied with it. Without further ado, I give you:
Holy Grail Ranch Dressing
1/3 cup mayonnaise (use the real stuff, not Miracle Whip or Light Mayo- I think this was the cause of failure for many previous versions)
1/3 cup reduced fat sour cream (stay away from the fat-free, see above)
1/3 cup Greek yogurt (this is what was changed in between batches- Fage resulted in a thinner dressing, and Dannon created a slightly thicker version)
1 cup fat-free half and half
1 1/2 packets Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix (regular, not buttermilk)
1/2 teaspoon each: fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder, parsley
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
Whisk together first four ingredients until well blended. Whisk in Ranch Dressing mix. Whisk in remaining ingredients until thoroughly blended. For best results, refrigerate overnight before serving. Should last up to two weeks refrigerated- I'll let you know if any ever lasts that long in my household!
Makes two cups. Serving size= 2 tablespoons, 55 calories, 4 g fat, 1g sat. fat.
You have chosen... wisely. Enjoy!
Stay tuned for a New Year's beer review (heading out to select my midnight beer now!) and something to go with that Ranch- my new project, Cajun Injected Wings!
Happy New Year!
