Best Darn Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

Best Darn Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

One condiment you will find abundantly stocked in our home is Ranch Dressing. Since our second child was young (by far the pickiest of our three children), Ranch dressing was the quintessential condiment and the only way we could entice him to eat vegetables, chicken tenders, burgers, and pretty much anything. Whenever our children stayed at their grandparents' homes, we forewarned them to keep Ranch dressing on hand or suffer the consequences. 

To this day, Ranch is still our son's preferred condiment, but he's hardly the picky eater he was in the past. He considers himself "The Master Taster Tester" of the family (something he coined when he was younger). I had never made Homemade Ranch before until our son asked, "Mom, what is in ranch dressing?" I was stumped. So, we looked up the ingredients, and as it turns out, I had everything on hand, including fresh herbs from our garden. I sensed a method to his madness, so after playing with a few ingredients, I surprised him later with homemade ranch dressing. His smile said it all.

From The "Master Taster Tester's" lips, "Mom, this is the best darn ranch dressing ever!", It only seemed fitting to share this recipe with the world and label it The Best Darn Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe. Embodied in creamy buttermilk, Cherchies® Lem'n Dill, Cherchies® Garlic 'n Herbs, and other fresh herbs, this tasty ranch dressing recipe will appease even the most discerning ranch lover; but beware, you may never go back to the bottled ranch dressing again! Use this dressing in all your favorite recipes: a dip for vegetables, chicken tenders, fries, a spread on sandwiches, and a salad dressing.

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have made this recipe. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayo

• 1/2 cup sour cream (could substitute Greek yogurt)

• 1/2 cup half and half

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) white vinegar

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) lemon juice

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) coarsely chopped fresh chives

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) chopped fresh parsley (3/4 teaspoon dried)

• 1 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Lem'n Dill Seasoning

• 1/4 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Garlic 'n Herbs No-Salt Seasoning

• 1/4 teaspoon (tsp) ground black pepper

Preparation

Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender.  Pulse to combine.  If the recipe is too thick, add more half-and-half or milk to the mixture.  

Refrigerate and chill for at least an hour, but overnight is preferable, as the flavors will marry. Serve over your favorite salad or as a dipping sauce for fries, chicken tenders, pretzels, vegetables, or whatever your heart desires.

Enjoy!

**Note: In the post, I mentioned buttermilk. I rarely have buttermilk on hand, so I use half and half and a teaspoon of white vinegar to simulate buttermilk. It is a quick and easy substitution.

Best Darn Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

Lemony Greek Pasta Salad Recipe

This tasty, tangy, colorful Greek-style pasta salad is the perfect side dish to bring to your next party or potluck.

I love making this easy, flavorful, refreshing salad, especially in the summer. It is the perfect excuse to take full advantage of summer's bounty without spending much time in the kitchen. Your family or guests will devour this dish, as it has garden fresh vegetables, orzo pasta, creamy feta cheese, and a tangy champagne honey lemon vinaigrette (featuring Cherchies® award-winning Champagne Mustard), bringing this dish from great to extraordinary. To make this pasta salad heartier, add some leftover protein, like chicken or shrimp, for an easy, refreshing summer meal. This recipe is best made the day before the event, as the flavors intensify, but making it the day of, earlier in the day, would be perfectly fine.

So grab some vegetables from your garden or your favorite farmer’s market, and make this delightful Greek pasta salad today. You will not be disappointed.

Comment below and let us know if you made this recipe. Thank you for visiting. Come back and revisit us for more delicious recipes, cooking tips, and entertaining ideas.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups cooked orzo pasta

• 1 cup coarsely chopped seedless cucumbers

• 1 cup chopped tomatoes (can use cherry tomatoes cut in half if you'd prefer)

• 1/2 cup heaping cup crumbled feta cheese

• 1/4 cup thinly sliced purple onion

• 1 teaspoon Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning

• 1/2 cup Cherchies® Pretty Peppers, drained

• Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

• Champagne Honey Lemon Vinaigrette (below)

• Chopped parsley to garnish (optional)

Ingredients for champagne honey vinaigrette

• 1 Lemon, (zest, and juice)

• 1/2 tsp thyme

• 1 1/2 tsp. (teaspoon) Dijon mustard

• 1 1/2 tsp. (teaspoon) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1 Salt and pepper

• 1/2 cup Olive oil

• 1/4 cup White wine vinegar

Preparation

Chop the onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes, and place them in a large bowl.  Season with Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning and set aside. Whisk all ingredients of vinaigrette in a small bowl. Set aside. Cook orzo pasta according to package directions.  Drain Pasta.  

Add the drained orzo to the salad.  Then add Cherchies® Pretty Peppers and lightly season with pepper. Right before serving, add the vinaigrette.

Next add the Feta cheese and mix to combine.  Add more dressing to taste.  Serve immediately. (*The flavors intensify if made a day ahead).

Tangy, refreshing Lemon Greek Salad.  Enjoy!

Lemony Greek Pasta Salad Recipe

Stacked Crab Mango Avocado Recipe

Stacked Crab Mango Avocado Salad Recipe

Cook Time: No cooking!  

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Difficulty:  Easy

Makes 2-3 crab stacks (or 1 if you're really hungry:)

If you want to wow your guests with a light, tasty lunch, salad, or appetizer, this stacked crab tower bursting with flavor is the perfect recipe for you! Your guests will think you spent hours creating this mouth-watering masterpiece. 

I recently had a variation of this recipe at a local restaurant, and since then, I have been obsessed with recreating it at home; however, the thought of making it myself seemed daunting. That was until I learned I could make this crab stack with a soup can rather than buy another kitchen tool. Hello! Determined to satisfy my crab craving and make something other than our usual crab cakes (which are delicious), I was going to create this tasty culinary tower!

And create I did. I made and treated myself to this delicious stacked crab salad featuring crab, mango, and avocado and drizzled it with a tangy citrus cilantro dressing. And I felt like Mrs. Fancy Pants:) This delicious recipe was not daunting; it was easy, delicious, light, and bursting with flavor, and it all came together in minutes! I will make this for my next "girl's night out" and serve it with crackers as an appetizer.

So, are you ready to get stacking? Grab your soup can and make this delicious crab mango and avocado salad today. Have fun creating different combinations, but report back. We would love to hear about your variations. I may add chopped red onion and our Pretty Peppers to the layers the next time I make this.

Thanks for stopping by; here is how we made it!

Ingredients

• 1 10 oz. can of lump meat crab

• 1 large avocado, chopped

• 1 large mango, chopped

• 1 lime, sliced in half

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp.) orange juice

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp.) rice vinegar

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning Blend

Preparation

Slice an avocado in half, remove the pit by inserting a knife and twisting, score the avocado with a knife, and scoop out pulp into a small bowl. Squeeze one half of the lime over the avocados and gently mix.  Set aside.

Peel mango with a vegetable peeler, cut the fruit off the mango, cut into small chunks, and place the mango in a separate small bowl.  Open both ends of a soup can and reserve contents for another time (perhaps you want soup with this delicious salad).  Thoroughly clean the can.  (If using a can of crab, simply open both ends, empty contents, clean and use in your crab stack).

Drain the crab and place in another small bowl.  Prepare the dressing by mixing the rest of the lime juice, orange juice, vinegar, olive oil, and Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning.  Set aside. Now, let's get stacking!

Place the can on a plate.  Carefully add the avocado to the can and gently press the avocado in the mold with a spatula or spoon.  Next add the mango followed by the crab and tamp down just as you did with the avocado.

Carefully push the stack through the can with a spatula onto the plate.  Drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately.  Behold, the Stacked Crab Mango Avocado Salad!  Enjoy:)

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Stacked Crab Mango Avocado Salad Recipe

Champagne Beet and Goat Cheese Salad Recipe

Champane Beet and Goat Cheese Salad Recipe

Cook Time: 1 hour

Difficulty: Easy

If you had told me years ago I'd be eating beets, I would have looked at you like you were crazy...seriously crazy!  It's true, tastes do change and I absolutely love roasted beets now.  I especially love them in a salad with tangy goat cheese, candied pecans, and drizzled with a Champagne Tarragon Vinaigrette.  Oh my!

My curiosity was peaked a few years ago when my hubby and I were out to dinner.  There had been a lot of talk about beets and the health benefits, so I put on my big girl pants and decided to try this garnet vegetable everyone was raving about.  Both my hubby and I were hooked!  

This salad has some serious flavor!  With savory beets, creamy goat cheese, sweet candied pecans, and a tangy vinaigrette, this recipe is a must for your salad recipe cache!   

Ingredients  

• 1 bunch of red beets, washed and peeled
• 1 bunch of yellow beets, washed and peeled
• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Garlic seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) ground pepper
• 1 small log of goat cheese
• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard
• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Tarragon

Candied Pecans Ingredients (optional)

• 1 lb. pecans (I used chopped pecans for this recipe)
• 1 Tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon (tsp) salt 
• 1 egg white
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon (tsp) cinnamon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  

Wash and peel the beets and cut off the ends of the beets.  Cut beets into fourths and place on a baking sheet.  For presentation sake, I prefer to keep the gold beets separate from the red beets during cooking. Drizzle the beets with olive oil and sprinkle with Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning and pepper.  

With your hands, mix the beets so that they are coated in oil and the seasoning. You may want to use gloves if you don't want your fingers to turn pink.  Place beets in the oven and roast them until they are fork tender, about an hour.

In a small bowl, mix the Champagne Mustard, vinegar, and Tarragon.  Set aside.  

I like to cook the candied pecans at the same time as the beets, since they take about the same time.   In a small bowl, beat the egg white and water with a fork until frothy but not stiff.  

Add the pecans to a medium bowl. Pour the beaten egg white over the pecans and stir to make sure nuts are completely covered.  Sift the dry ingredients over the nuts and stir to coat evenly.  

Line a baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray.  Bake at 300 degrees for an hour, stirring the pecans every 15 minutes.  Allow the pecans to cool.

Once the beets and pecans are cooked, it's time to assemble the salad.  Coarsely chop the beets and arrange on a plate.  Sprinkle the goat cheese and the candied pecans over the beets.  Drizzle the Champagne Tarragon Vinaigrette over the salad.  Voila!  Champagne Beet and Goat Cheese Salad! Enjoy!

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