Anyone want a Fat Free Ranch Dressing recipe?

[Jewel]

I'm not big on salads, but when I do have one I like REAL ranch dressing...and I don't care much for fat free stuff! I can eat the Hellmans/Best Foods, but prefer real. This is a really good homemade ranch that tastes like the real thing! It's VERY thick, so add a bit more milk to it if you want to thin it out more!

Fat Free Ranch Dressing

1 (24oz) container Fat Free Cottage Cheese
1/2-3/4 cup skim milk
1 TBS white vinegar
1 envelope Ranch Dressing Mix

Blend in food processer or blender until smooth. 12 calories and zero fat per TBS!

[gertdog]

Thanks Jewel! I'm a big ranch dressing fan, but I don't like the fat-free bottled stuff either.

One question... does the curd-y texture of the cottage cheese completely disappear? I'm not a cottage cheese fan, but don't mind it when I can't notice the texture.

[Jewel]

Gertdog, if the stuff is blended long enough, then the curds are gone! CL has used cottage cheese in it's cheesecake recipes for years! You can play with this recipe by adding another half envelope of mix if you want it stronger, and a friend of mine kicks up the vinegar, but it's a very good base for a dressing. I always add a bit more milk than the original recipe calls for so it's more 'pourable' and I pour it in an old Hidden Valley Ranch bottle! If you don't have one of those, DH keeps it in a Tupperware container in the fridge at his office!

[gertdog]

Thanks Jewel! I will give this a try!

I have never, ever liked cottage cheese. I still remember the bittersweet revelation my mom made... that all those years she made lasagna, she made it with cottage cheese instead of ricotta. I was mad at her for fooling me (they did this to me often; I was such a picky eater!), but I did realize that I could eat cottage cheese sometimes. Sounds like this will be one of those times...

[katygirl]

This sounds great. I think I will half the recipe though. We have half a containter of Cottage cheese that will go bad if I don't use it soon!

[donleyk]

Thanks Jewel. The light and FF dressing aren't very good. I am amazed that so much garlic flavor is added to light dressings. I wonder what is trying to be covered up! I am not much for CC either, but whipped up in a FP should do the trick!

[AndreaU]

Awesome... creamy dressings usually don't translate well into the fat-free (or even light) realm. Ranch is one of my favorite dressings but I never eat it- never met a fat-free/low-fat bottle of ranch I liked. As for my other creamy favorite, Bleu Cheese, Ken's makes a good light version, as does Marie's.

[makedah]

This sounds really good. I don't like mayonnaise and fat-free mayonnaise freaks me out even more. I'm not a dairy fan but I've learned that I can eat cottage cheese if it's properly doctored up (on a potato with lemon or in the lemon butter crunch bars!) I'm definitely going to try this (just got a packet of Trader Joe's Ranch seasoning!). I'm lactose intolerant, but I'll take a Lactaid to try this!

[MelissaAS]

Thanks for the recipe- lately I've been using Hidden Valley Ranch Light (3.5g fat per tbsp.), but who knows what's in there!

[krhm]

I'd love to try this sometime, but how long will it keep in the fridge? I'm the only salad eater in our house, although my daughter likes to dunk vegetables in ranch. I'm just not sure I would use enough of it.

[Jewel]

Originally posted by krhm
I'd love to try this sometime, but how long will it keep in the fridge? I'm the only salad eater in our house, although my daughter likes to dunk vegetables in ranch. I'm just not sure I would use enough of it.

If we fill a large empty Hidden Valley bottle, or any other dressing bottle it lasts for quite a while! I'd say a few weeks tightly closed! In Tupperware, definitely do a sniff test after 10 days or so! As I said, some may want to fiddle with it a bit, adding more milk (as written it is VERY thick) or another half packet of Ranch Mix.

[katygirl]

While I am not normally someone who shouts I must say TRY THIS!!! It is so good, with none of the chemical-ish taste of bottled fat free dressing.

[Jewel]

Woohoo!! Thanks Katy! I was wondering if anyone tried this stuff! I know the ingredients are a bit strange, but it tasted real, didn't it?

Did you have to add more milk?

[katygirl]

I kind of just eye balled it. I did use less cottage cheese, I bought a 16oz instead of a 24. So I had less, than called for. I think I used about the recommend amount of milk. Again, I kind of just added until it looked like salad dressing consistancy. Thanks so much for this recipe. Did you make it up or get it somewhere?

And Yes, it tasted so real!

[Jewel]

Originally posted by katygirl
Did you make it up or get it somewhere?

A little of both...a friend told me that she has started using FF cottage cheese as a primary ingredient for anything creamy or cream cheesy, including salad dressing. She was making a variety of Blue Cheese with the envelopes, and my favorite was Ranch. I realized I'd probably eat a bit more salad if the dressing were better! Plus, I love the stuff on my baked potatoes! Started fiddling, then it came together!

[AZLorena]

I just made this tonight. Thank you for posting this, Jewel. I saw this thread earlier and pretty much just went out for my bike ride tonight and picked up the stuff. I have to say....YUM! I do want to try this with a packet of buttermilk ranch mix. I am having a big salad tonight in honor of being released from my "ranch deprivation". Wahoo!!

Lorena

[carolyn.1]

Hi Jewel,
I also fixed this last night, I didn't write down the recipe, so I fixed it by memory. I didn't put ANY milk at all-I forgot the ingredient. The consistancy was fine but it did taste as though something was missing--Duh. Oh, and the only packets I could find are buttermilk ranch (Hidden Valley). Do you believe the taste is different from original to buttermilk?
Thanks,
Carolyn

[Jewel]

Originally posted by carolyn.1
Oh, and the only packets I could find are buttermilk ranch (Hidden Valley). Do you believe the taste is different from original to buttermilk?

I don't think so! I've used both! Frankly, I've also done the same thing with Italian Dressing Mix instead of Ranch, and it's turned out wonderfully too! I like a Creamy Italian every once in awhile! If I remember correctly it took nearly 2 packets of the Italian though... can't remember! Oh well, hit and miss! At least you have the basic, and you can spiff it up however you want!

[carolyn.1]

Thank you for the recipe Jewel,
I will fix it again tonight WITH milk! Ha Ha
Great flavor.
Carolyn

[Mandy]

I love the Buttermilk Ranch packets that you mix with buttermilk and mayo. I wonder if I used low fat buttermilk instead of the skim milk if it would taste like the Buttermilk Ranch. It might add a trace amount of fat, right?

[msbeehavn]

I made this dressing yesterday, and it was great. My question is...it seemed to be missing just a little, something. I was wondering if anyone else doctored it up a bit and what you added to give it a little more oomph! I increased the vinegar and added more of the ranch dressing (I was cutting the recipe in half), but I couldn't quite put my finger on what I needed to do to it....any suggestions??

[Linda in MO]

Having never tasted it, I can't say for sure, but maybe fresh lemon juice, Kosher salt, fresh black pepper, etc. Just guessing!

[Jewel]

Originally posted by msbeehavn
I made this dressing yesterday, and it was great. My question is...it seemed to be missing just a little, something. I was wondering if anyone else doctored it up a bit and what you added to give it a little more oomph! I increased the vinegar and added more of the ranch dressing (I was cutting the recipe in half), but I couldn't quite put my finger on what I needed to do to it....any suggestions??

Maybe you need to use a smaller container of cottage cheese? My mom uses a 16 oz container instead of a 24 oz and she likes it better that way, because it's 'stronger' in flavor. I'm sitting here at work and can't remember the back of the envelope of dressing mix. How much mayo/milk does it say to add the envelope to? A 16 oz container of cottage cheese is 2 cups, so maybe that's what should be used instead of the 24 oz.

I've used some red pepper flakes (ground finer in my spice grinder) in it at times, along with more black pepper also. As I said, oomph it up all you want! I would say regarding using lowfat buttermilk instead of skim milk would be great also!

[KelLeg]

Help, I'm a dissenting opinion. I tried this last night and really didn't like it. It was very grainy. Did I do something wrong??? I used fat-free cottage cheese (24 oz) and followed the directions.

Sorry, Jewel!

[Molli526]

I made this today and it ROCKS!

Thanks Jewel!

I used about 16oz of cottage cheese. At first I used about 1/2 a cup of milk. It was kind of grainy like Kelly's was. I added the extra 1/4 cup of milk and just let it rip another minute and voila! dressing that is fabulous! DH even likes it. I took enough for me to have a veggie and dip party and poured the rest into an old ketchup bottle so I can just squeeze it out.

[Jewel]

Originally posted by Molli526
I used about 16oz of cottage cheese. At first I used about 1/2 a cup of milk. It was kind of grainy like Kelly's was. I added the extra 1/4 cup of milk and just let it rip another minute and voila!

Glad you liked it Molli! Now that I think about it, I think most of my friends use the 16oz cottage cheese instead of the 24 oz... I should just revise the recipe, but the edit button won't work now, the post is too old!

OK, new recipe!

Fat Free Ranch Dressing

16 oz FF cottage cheese
1/2-3/4 cup skim milk
1 TBS White vinegar
1 envelope Ranch Dressing Mix

Blend in blender or food processor till smooth!

[ReneeV]

Hi Jewel,
Your recipe looks great! I'm definitely going to try it.

I've been making a "Light" Ranch dressing for years. Here's my recipe:

Light Ranch
1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1 c of lowfat milk, buttermilk OR FF Half and Half
1/2 c lowfat Hellmans Mayo
1/2 c Breakstone Light Sour Cream

Wisk all the the milk or half and half with the mayo and sour cream. Whisk in the dressing mix. Let sit for 30 minutes.

We love this and have been using it for years. My husband doesn't know the difference and my kids have never had any other kind.

Sometimes I use 1/2 c of 2% milk and 1/2 c of FF half and half if I have both in the house. This is my favorite way to make this dressing.

Just another variation for those of you who would like a "light" option. It's not totally fat free but lower in fat than most "light" ranch recipes.

[SoCal]

The local grocery store had the 16-oz carton of ff cottage cheese on sale for 99 cents so I had to try this recipe! I have to say (OK, shout) THIS DRESSING IS A KEEPER!! It really is delicious and doesn't have the gross after-taste of the bottled fat-free dressings. I had my son (king of the full-fat Hidden Valley Ranch Original Dressing ) take a taste and he loved it! I was worried about 'chunks' or a grainy texture so I blended it for about 5-6 minutes to be sure it was smooth. Thanks again for sharing the recipe!

One 'to try' recipe from my pile down, 476 to go....!

[boisewinesnob]

Hey,
I am taking KValley's advice and responding to an old thread . I did make this dressing a couple times and it is really great. I just have to rememeber to get FF cottage cheese while I'm shopping, since it's not something I usually get.
Since Kima made us all feel guilty about not responding, I am trying to make sure I don't forget anybody (JUST KIDDING MAUREEN!!!!! )
So thank you, Jewel!

Suzy

[gertdog]

I FINALLY got to make this last night. Well, sort of. I used the "Jewel's cottage cheese principle", but forgot to bring home the actual recipe.

I used 1 cup of fat-free cottage cheese and 1 cup of lowfat buttermilk with one envelope of Hidden Valley "reduced calorie" ranch dressing mix that I found in my cupboard. Added 1 T. of red wine vinegar and some freshly ground black pepper, and blended it all up.

Fantastic! And it's 1 weight watcher's point for 2 tablespoons (if I did the math correctly).

Thanks for the inspiration, Jewel! I will definitely be making this again!