Have you gone through your spice cabinet (or wall in my case) recently? Dried herbs and spices* have a limited shelf life. If they are over a year old, pitch them, they’ve lost their punch. Time for new, fresh replacments. Might I suggest you do some shopping at Penzeys Spice shop? Honestly, the spices they carry are so fresh (compare colors), even though they are dry. I find their prices to be less than grocery stores. No, they aren’t paying me to say this, and sure my sissie works there! Has for years, but I truly love their products. Be sure to say hi to KatieO when you shop, she’s the nicest spice-girl around!
So this is my take on a yummy ranch dressing. I go light on the dill (not a huge fan, it’s over-powering) and I use lemon pepper. If you go to Penzeys, they have a Florida Pepper, that does’t have salt. If you already have lemon pepper, be sure to adjust the seasonings for salt.
This mix is great to have on hand for:
- dressing
- dips (add it to straight sour cream)
- toss with breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese for a yummy coating for chicken
Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 7 tablespoons of mix 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is a great alternative to those store-bought packets of mix, which are loaded with salt and thickeners. It’s great to have on hand (lasts for a good 3 months stored in an air-tight glass jar) to season breadcrumbs or make a dip too.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried dill (use a scant teaspoon, dry dill is strong!)
- 1–1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 4 teaspoons onion powder
- 4 teaspoons dried onion or shallot flakes (preferably shallot)
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper or (lemon pepper)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (affiliate link)
- Buttermilk (see below)
- Greek yogurt (or sour cream or mayo work too) (see below)
Instructions
Mix all dry ingredients together until blended. Store in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
Be sure to stir well, before making dressing the powdery spices fall to the bottom!
TO MAKE RANCH DRESSING: Combine 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix with 1/3 cup buttermilk and 1/3 cup yogurt (or whichever creaminess you decide, experiment!), whisk to combine. You may substitute sour cream or mayo for the Greek yogurt.
Best made one day ahead, for sure.
Note: Buttermilk is typically just the milk leftover from making butter. It is usually fairly low-fat, and has a great tang. I use it in all sorts of baked goods, pancakes, and to marinate chicken. It’s really versatile, pick some up and try it!
Notes
*Herbs are dried leaves from the plant, spices are the dried seeds. Good to know, right!
Dry herbs and fresh herbs are SO completely different, quantities will be very different if using fresh.
Ha! Thanks for the shoutout sista!
FYI..I don’t get paid commission, but I can tell ya there is no comparison to Penzeys vs grocery store spices! Our spices last even longer because they are so fresh!
Now, I want you all to sign up for Shelagh’s next cooking class!