The Best Ranch Dressing

I’m raising an 11-year-old ranch dressing connoisseur.  Seriously.  The kid has a ranch rating scale and chooses restaurants based on the deliciousness of their ranch dressing.   

In fact, I’ve heard from him several times, “Why can’t you make ranch like this?” as he munched on his favorite condiment.  I do have an old recipe on the blog I developed years back, but that was before I  knew about my little ranch savant’s affinity for the stuff.  So, the last time we were at his favorite ranch place, I asked for a few extra cups of their ranch to go and took them back to the test kitchen to get to work.    

This recipe is the result and it was proclaimed “The BEST RANCH EVER!” by both the aficionado and his mom.  And I have to agree.  This is seriously the best ranch I’ve had.  So I named it such.  But that “best” moniker needs a little clarification…

I don’t just title things “best” or “ultimate” to make them seem special.  For me to put that descriptor on there, it seriously is the BEST I’ve had.  And that’s the case here.  The best.  

It’s perfect for dunking your favorite veggies, chips, chicken fingers, etc. into and adds tons of amazing flavor to your salads.  

This ranch has a super savory blend of garlic, herbs, the right mayo, buttermilk, and a little MSG (monosodium glutamate).  Yep, I said it.  Y’all call the food police!  

No, seriously… MSG made a huge difference in the flavor of this dressing. And while the stuff gets a bad rap, it occurs naturally in a tons of foods like tomatoes, cheese, and beets.  In fact, the Mayo Clinic reports that while every small percentage of folks might have a short term reaction to the stuff, scientists have not been able to link MSG to the symptoms some folks said they experienced.  

And no one I know personally has a sensitivity to it, so I included it.  

I even did a little taste test with a few folks.  I had them taste a version with the MSG and without the MSG and they all favored the MSG version. If it didn’t made a huge difference, I wouldn’t have included it.  But it does make a huge difference. It adds that serious umami flavor that “the best” ranch always has.     

I use the Ac’cent brand of MSG.  It’s made from corn using a fermentation process much like yogurt. You can find it in the spice at your local grocer.  

All that said, can you leave it out?  Sure you can.  But it just won’t taste the same.  But just as always, I am all about you making the choices that you feel are appropriate for you and your family.  

Y’all enjoy!