We have been enjoying a whole lot of homemade ranch dressing lately. We have added a simple salad every night to our dinner menu helping us get in just a few more extra veggies. When it is just my husband and I, we usually fill our entire plate with salad before we even get to our main dish. Eating this way I feel like we have less actual dinner to eat (and make) when we have a salad to go with it.
This healthier ranch recipe is a combination of a few dressing/dip recipes that I have tried over the years. The combination makes for a yummy, light, and easy recipe that I now always have on hand. It is 100% tastier than store bought and a lot healthier as well.
I usually buy a head of lettuce and romaine or a bag of salad. I then will add vegetables we have on hand like onion, tomato, broccoli, garlic, carrots, and spinach. We also add a few croutons on top. I used to not be a big "side salad" fan but I am finding that by making this salad both full of veggies but still delicious (i.e. the ranch and croutons), I am pretty satisfied before we even get to the main dish which helps me refrain from overeating. I used to be a balsamic vinegar and no croutons girl but I'll admit it did not last long because I did not care for the taste. So instead I have come up with a salad that will stick around for the long haul--one that is healthy and delicious.
I knew it was a hit when my husband was practically licking the plate as well as many of our guests will comment on how good it is and request the recipe. The Greek yogurt adds a little protein and the water spreads the dressing over the entire salad, keeping the taste in every bite but not weighing the salad down with a ton of thick dressing.
Healthier Homemade Ranch Dressing
1/2 Cup Tillamook Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt
1/2 Cup Low Fat Buttermilk
1Cup Low Fat/Light Mayo
1 Packet Ranch Dressing
1 Cup Water
A Few Shakes of Dry Dill (probably about 1 teaspoon but I usually just shake some in until it has a nice amount of green)
Mix all ingredients and serve.
I will sometimes make a few batches to use up a whole carton of buttermilk before it goes bad. I then freeze the dressing in the freezer. Out of the freezer it comes out a little chunky but stiring it up before serving usually does the trick. It is not as smooth as a fresh batch but still plenty delicious and edible. Definitely worth it to always have on hand.
Tillamook recently sent me some of their Farmstyle Greek Yogurt flavors to sample and share with you all today. I am a huge Greek yogurt fan and Tillamook's version is one of the creamiest I have tried! Plus they have some pretty incredible flavors...coffeehouse blend and cinnamon hazelnut! Yum!
Tillamook would also like to send one lucky reader a case of their Greek yogurt to sample as well! Due to location and yogurt getting sent through the mail, this giveaway is only open to states in the west: OR, WA, ID, CA, NV, AZ, UT, MT, WY, CO, NM.
To enter, leave a comment below.
