All The Ranch!

Homemade Ranch Dressing

For those of you unfamiliar with the importance of Ranch Dressing in the Midwest, let me fill you in. OBSESSED, a lot of people are totally obsessed with this salad dressing and use it on a plethora of foods besides salad, like pizza, vegetables, chips, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, wings, french fries, chicken... etc. 

There are two types of people, there are the 'any kind of Ranch will do' kind, and then there are the 'I only like Mazzio's Ranch' kind. The latter will also pick restaurants based on how good their Ranch is, "Oh, they have good Ranch, let's go there!"

Now that you get it, and I have positioned myself as an expert, when I say this is an excellent Ranch recipe, you know it's legit! It's also like super duper easy, so that's a plus.

On a personal note, I fall into the picky group, I don't really care for any kind of bottled salad dressing at all. Sure, I buy it & consume it, but it's been because I felt like I had no other choice. Why in the world have I never considered making my own, I HAVE NO IDEA! Last week I saw an IG post of a friend that was prepping salad ingredients for the week, chopping different kinds of lettuces, cucumbers, shredded carrots, and cucumbers and bagging them in gallon zipper bags, and I had a huge light bulb go off, "I'm going to do that too and find a recipe for some awesome salad dressing!". 

The next day searched for a recipe, then purchased the following & prepped it:

Romaine Lettuce

Iceberg Lettuce

Leafy Green Lettuce

Cherry Tomatoes

Green Onions

Shredded Carrots

Cucumbers

Ranch Ingredients

I also bought shredded sharp cheddar, high quality bacon pieces, and croutons. You guys, this is like the Midwest comfort food salad, so good!!! We ate a salad before dinner, as dinner, or as lunch for the next 5 days. 

I was able to purchase a quart of buttermilk instead of a half gallon (did you know that it's a low-fat milk!?), and went with Hellman's Mayo with Olive Oil (because it sounds healthier, ha) and I've seen several recipes that call specifically for this brand, also two packets of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix. Buy two because you will have enough buttermilk to make a second batch before the milk goes bad. 

I found this recipe online, it was a screenshot image and was labeled Texas Roadhouse Ranch Dressing, not sure if it tastes like theirs or not but it most certainly tastes a whole lot better than any bottle on the shelf! Let me know how you like it and please share your favorite salad dressing recipes with me! I AM HOOKED on making my own!

(For those of you counting WW Points Plus, 1/4 Cup is 5 points.)

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Recipe by Christy Squyres

Restaurant Style Ranch Dressing Recipe

Yield: 32
Ingredients

• 1 Cup Buttermilk
• 1 Cup Hellman's Mayo with Olive Oil
• 1 Packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Packet
• To Taste Garlic Powder
• To Taste Cayenne Pepper
• To Taste Black Pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Cheers to my fellow Ranch fans!

Christy

Baked Brie with Herbs and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Baked Brie Appetizer

You guys, this is AMAZING!!! Pin it now, save it for later!

My friend Rebecca Andrews brought this to a get together a while back, and the photo just surfaced while clearing out some images on my phone. I HAD TO SHARE. The sweet caramelized onions are what make this all come together, the flavor is incredibly rich.

Most of the recipes I blog are really for me, I don't want to lose them, but I love sharing them with you too! I'm not greedy :)

print recipe

Baked Brie with Herbs & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

by Christy Squyres March-22-2018

Ingredients

• 1 Small Brie, Peeled
• 1 Tablespoon Parsley, Chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Basil, Chopped
• 1 Large Sweet Onion
• 1/3 Jar Sun-dried Tomatoes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325. Caramelize the onion, add in parsley, basil, and sun-dried tomatoes. Remove brie casing with a cheese slicer (optional). Place brie in a small baking dish, place the mixture on top. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is spreadable. Serve with crackers or Melba toast.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 4-8 Servings

Homemade Meatballs

My Homeamade Meatball Recipe

Get the recipe here: Moms of Tulsa

 Ciao!

In the Kitchen- Halloween Appetizer

Individual Serving

7 Layer Dip Jack O' Lanterns

I bought these little paper party cups at Hobby Lobby for a Halloween party, and at the last minute decided to sketch Jack O' Lantern faces on them.  I must say, they turned out pretty cute!!!  These are the perfect little portioned appetizer to serve at a Halloween party, they are mess free too! 

 

 

Recipe

Serves: 18-24

Ingredients:

1 can fat free refried beans

1 package taco seasoning 

1 cup light sour cream

1 pouch premade guacamole (or 1 cup homemade)

1 cup jarred salsa

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

I can whole pitted, black olives, halved

1 bunch green onions, sliced

1 Roma tomato, diced small

Instructions:

Combine taco seasoning and refried beans.  Using a small portion scoop, scoop 1 scoop of each of these into a small paper party cup: refried bean mixture, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cheddar cheese.  Top with black olives, green onions, and tomatoes.

Happy Halloween!

In the Kitchen- Oktoberfest Soft Pretzel Sticks

German Style Soft Pretzel Sticks

I have been wanting to make these for a really long time.  We were invited to an Oktoberfest themed birthday party last weekend & it was my cue that it was time to tackle the slightly intimidating, baking soda boiling, pretzels!  They were fantastic!!!  I prefer my pretzels with cheese sauce (really I prefer everything with cheese), while they were good with mustard, they were phenomenal with the cheese!  They were soft in the middle but slightly crunchy on the outside, with that unexplainable taste that only a pretzel has (kind if a fizz on your tongue).  I made two batches and cut the size of each pretzel stick in half, so each batch made 50 sticks, 100 total.  They were extremely time consuming and a little messy, but totally worth it.  This probably isn't something you want to make for an afternoon snack, but perfect for a special occasion, like an Oktoberfest party.  My four and five year old daughters were able to get in on the action too, they loved it.  If you notice there is a lot of variation in the sizes, let's blame it on that...

The ingredients are really simple, you probably already have them in your pantry: all purpose flour, canola oil, baking soda, brown sugar, yeast, water, and an egg

 

I used my stand mixer, but you can do it by hand if you don't have one.

 

Once your ingredients have been mixed, place the dough ball in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise until it doubles in size, about 45 minutes.

 

Place the dough ball on a floured surface, knead lightly, and stretch it.

Cut into 24 equal parts. Well, as equal as you can get them.  I decided to make smaller pretzel sticks, so at this point, I broke 24 pieces into halves and had 48 pieces.

 

The girls had lots of fun helping roll the pieces into 4-1/2" x 1/2" sticks!  

 

Place the sticks two inches apart, on baking sheets covered in buttered parchment paper.  They look a little wonky, but once they rise, they smooth out.

Let them rise for 15-25 minutes, until they are puffy (and much prettier).

 

Bring two quarts of water and 3/4 cup of baking soda to a simmer.  Place six sticks at a time into the simmering water, let them cook for 30 seconds, turning once.  Lay them on paper towels to drain, then transfer them back to the prepared baking sheets.  Brush with egg wash & salt them (I say generously salt them).  Pop them in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown.  Serve them with cheese (or mustard)!!!

 

*Do NOT overload your oven or they will burn...lesson learned.

 



Recipe
Serves: 24
Serving Size: 1-2 pretzel sticks

Ingredients:

2 quarts plus 1 cup water, divided
1/2 cup brown sugar

5 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup baking soda

1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil

5-1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water

Kosher or sea salt

 

Instructions:

In a stand mixer, add brown sugar into 2 cups of warm water until dissolved. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vegetable oil and 3 cups of the flour.  Mix in the remaining 2 3/4 cups of flour; the dough will be slightly sticky.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead until silky, about 3 minutes; if the dough is very sticky, knead in up to 1/4 cup more flour. Transfer the dough to an large, oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450°. Line 3 large cookie sheets with parchment paper and butter the paper. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough lightly, flatten it out and cut it into 24 pieces.  If you want to make smaller sticks, divide the 24 in half to make 48 pieces. By hand, roll each piece into a 9-inch x 1/2 inch thick or 4-1/2 x 1/2 inch stick. Transfer the sticks to the prepared cookie sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between them. Let stand uncovered until puffed, about 15-25 minutes.

In a large, deep sauté pan, stir the baking soda into 2 quarts of water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderate. Using a slotted spoon, transfer 6 pretzel sticks at a time to the simmering water 30 seconds, turning once; add about 1 cup of hot water after before cooking the second batch of pretzels. Transfer the pretzel sticks to paper towels to drain, then return them to the cookie sheets, spacing them evenly.
 
Brush the pretzel sticks with the egg wash and sprinkle with salt. Bake until richly browned, about 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, with cheese sauce or mustard.

Make Ahead: The baked pretzel sticks can be stored overnight in a plastic bag. Reheat before serving.

Adapted from Food & Wine
Find it here also Caramel Moments
 

 

Our neighbors Rebecca and Nick threw one heck of a party!  It was Nick's birthday, so the invite was for Nicktoberfest.  They decorated their house, inside and out, and had a smorgasbord of German sausages, sauerkraut, German potato salad, and pretzels of course.  Everything was delicious and their house was super festive!

 





Happy Birthday Nick!!!

 

Troy pulled out his lederhosen so he would fit in!

 

And, what is a good party without favors?  They had a bowl full of pretzel holding German ducks, and customized can cozies.

 

We went to the Tulsa Oktoberfest with the same crew. What a fun filled month!
Did I mention we have THE BEST NEIGHBORS EVER?!!!

Cheers!

Nellie & Phoeb's In the Kitchen: Killer Salsa

Just Like Chuy's Salsa

Chuy's salsa is our absolute favorite! It's so fresh & tangy, we can eat it by the spoonful! But, sometimes it's too spicy for me. I love being able to make a similar version at home & decrease the heat. I originally found this recipe here, but have adapted it.

Killer Chuy's Knockoff Salsa Recipe

Ingredients:

8- roma tomatoes, chopped

2- serrano peppers, seeded & chopped fine (add more if you want to kick up the heat)

1- medium white onion

2- limes, juice only

1- handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

1- tablespoon garlic salt

Place peppers, onion, lime juice, cilantro & garlic salt in a food processor, process until fine.  Place mixture into a blender, add tomatoes, blend until tomatoes are small pieces (not large chunks).  Serve immediately with chips or your favorite Tex-Mex!

Tips:

Use fresh limes & cilantro. 

You can store it in the refrigerator, but it tastes best immediately after making it. Serrano peppers are tiny & spicy, don't over do it!





Nellie & Phoeb's In the Kitchen: Artichoke & Asiago Cheese Dip

My Mom's Favorite Appetizer

 My Mother got this recipe from a friend that lived in Canada, years ago. She always made it around the holidays. It's REALLY rich & loaded with calories, so I don't make it often.  Troy loves it, so I try to make it for him once a year.

Tips:

You MUST bake it in a bread bowl, the bread absorbs the oils while it cooks.

I've tried using reduced fat mayonnaise & it doesn't taste as good. The recipe specifically calls for a small jar of Hellman's (full fat) mayonnaise, so stick with it. Cook it till the flavors meld, the longer the better (without burning it, of course).

Artichoke & Asiago Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

2- large loaves, or 4 small loaves of French bread

1- can drained artichoke hearts, rinsed

1- 8 ounces shredded Asiago cheese

1- small jar of Hellman's Mayonaise

1- tablespoon minced garlic

2- teaspoons garlic salt

Instructions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor, chop artichoke hearts, to desired consistency (I like mine chopped fine). In a large bowl, mix artichoke hearts with Asiago cheese, mayonnaise, garlic, & garlic salt. Cut the center out of the loaf of bread, making a boat, set aside the extra bread you removed. Pour the mixture into the bread boat(s). Place bread boat(s) on a baking sheet & bake for 60 minutes. Slice the additional loaf of bread & the bread you removed from the boat. Serve dip while hot, with the sliced French bread. Enjoy!