This post is sponsored by Hidden Valley Ranch but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

The Secret to Restaurant Style Ranch Dressing

After working in the restaurant industry for over 25 years, I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks that help me both save time in the kitchen and deliver a high quality, consistent product. For example, if you a part of a prep crew preparing for service in a restaurant, it is critical that you plan your day prior to prepping anything. You want to structure your prep list in a way that keeps your equipment going; an idle oven is wasted time. Another thing you learn is to never recreate work that has already been done for you, and this tip right here is the secret to restaurant style Ranch dressing.

The secret is restaurants use pre-packaged spice blends. I mean, they could buy all of the dry herbs and spices individually and blend them as needed, but that takes time and introduces a step where mistakes can be made. So to both save time and insure tasty consistency, we use spice blends like Hidden Valley Restaurant Style Ranch. That literally is the secret to restaurant style Ranch dressing; more restaurants use Hidden Valley Restaurant Style Ranch seasoning to make dressing than any other mix on the market, and they use it because it tastes great and is consistent. It really is that simple.

How to Make Restaurant Style Ranch at Home

Making restaurant style Ranch dressing at home is both quick and easy, and it doesn’t take a lot of ingredients. Here is how I make mine; first I mix 1 cup of mayo with 1/2 cup of sour cream and 1/2 cup of buttermilk. Then I add about a teaspoon each of freshly minced garlic and chive. Finally, I add the contents of one Hidden Valley Restaurant Style Dressing and mix. Pretty simple. If you would like the written recipe, check it out here.

Once everything is all mixed together, I transfer my dressing to an appropriate container and pop it in the fridge.  Let the dressing rest for at least 30 minutes before using; you want to allow time for all of those flavors to marry and for the dressing to thicken.

Going Beyond Dressing

Don’t be afraid to experiment with your ranch mix! Yes Hidden Valley makes a killer dressing, but it can be used for a whole lot more than salads. Use the dressing as a dipping sauce. It’s a great paring for beer battered onion rings and smoked chicken wings. I use it all the time on sandwiches; yesterday we made a chipotle chicken sandwich with Sorghum cured bacon, fried sweet onion, and….you guessed it….Hidden Valley Restaurant Style Ranch Dressing. It was ridiculously good. You don’t have to make dressing either; I’ve used the mix to season meats and make batters for deep frying.

Learn More

The bottom line is this; don’t be afraid of using “shortcuts” like Hidden Valley Restaurant Style Ranch mix. There is a reason restaurants use this mix; flavor, consistency, and time. And don’t be afraid to experiment a bit, you just may surprise yourself. Finally, if you need more inspiration, check out the Hidden Valley recipe page; it is chock full of recipe ideas that are sure to get your creative juices flowing. How would you use Hidden Valley Restaurant Style Dressing Mix? Let us know in the comments, and happy cooking! Cheers!