Copycat Popeye’s Blackened Ranch Dressing

 

Love Popeye’s’ bold, zesty Blackened Ranch? This copycat recipe brings that smoky, creamy, and slightly spicy flavor to your kitchen. I’ve tweaked it to fit my taste and pantry, and I’m thrilled to share the results. Perfect for dipping fries, drizzling on salads, or spreading on sandwiches, this dressing is a must-try.

Popeye's’ Blackened Ranch has a unique kick that transforms any dish. The original recipe packs some heat, but I cut the cayenne pepper in half to make it less spicy for me. I also swapped dried chives for instant minced onions since I didn’t have dried chives and wanted to avoid fresh herbs, which can make dressings spoil faster. The result? A creamy, tangy, and smoky ranch that’s just as crave-worthy as the original.Copycat Popeye’s Blackened Ranch Dressing

 ¾ t. dried parsley

¼ t. dried dill

½ t. dried minced onions

2 t. onion powder

¾ t. garlic powder

¾ t. kosher salt

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 t. smoked paprika

¼ t. cayenne pepper

1 T. buttermilk powder

1 t. apple cider vinegar

1 c. mayonnaise

½ c. buttermilk

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until well mixed. Cover and let rest for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors blend.

 Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Try this Copycat Popeye’s Blackened Ranch and let me know how it turns out! It’s a fridge staple for me, and I bet it will be for you too.

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Caesar Romero

We've all had our little mishaps in the kitchen: the soufflé that falls, the cake that doesn't rise, the previously made French Onion Soup stored in the freezer that falls to the floor when we go to retrieve it, splitting its storage container in two, wherein it flies out of said container, sliding across the floor like a hockey puck, only to end its journey in front of the dog's bed, the occupant of which, delighted with her luck, enthusiastically licks the onion-flavored Popsicle.  No?  Well, it's happened to me.

My recent setback was to mistake a full two-cup container of Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding) for a similarly stored container of Ranch Dressing, only to become painfully aware of my error as I readied to toss the salad to serve to a table full of waiting guests.  Frantic, I bolted to the refrigerator and pulled out the near empty container of actual Ranch Dressing, a packet of Caesar Salad Dressing leftover from a fast food restaurant, the dregs in a bottle of low-fat Italian dressing, and a spoonful or two of Green Goddess. I dumped it all into a medium mixing bowl, whisked it together with vigor, crossed my fingers, poured it over the salad, plated it, and served.

I held my breath as my guests began to eat. Then, mortified, accepted the compliments on this "delicious dressing."

"What kind is this?" someone asked.

Drawing a blank, the only thing I could think of was the discarded packet from which I'd squeezed the Caesar dressing. "Ummm," I dumbly replied (Think, girl, think!), "It's my own creation. I call it, errr, Caesar, ummm, Caesar Romero."

Thank goodness it was a youngish crowd who wasn't familiar with the late actor, although my youngest son, who was immediately on to me mouthed, "Didn't he play The Joker in Batman?"

Busted!

To make certain this never happened again, I now keep a container of homemade Ranch Dressing seasoning in the pantry.  You might be wise to do the same.

Ranch Style Dressing Mix

8 tablespoons dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

5-1/2 tablespoons instant minced onion

4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Stir ingredients together and store in a cool, dry pace. To prepare, combine 2 tablespoons of the mix with 1cup buttermilk and 1cup mayonnaise. This will keep for six months.

This post is linked to: On the Menu Monday

TACO SALAD

With two days in a row of near ninety-degree heat, it would appear that the sultry salad days of summer are upon us.  I can't say I'm displeased by this. I love a good salad, the ease of assembly high up on the list.  A salad is something that can be simple or complex, sweet or savory, hearty and satisfying, or act as a light side.  Salads can be ethnic: the French Nicoise, the Greek Salad, Italian salad, or as in what I'm sharing today, Mexican Taco Salad.

For the most part I think all salads are relatively easy to make, it's really all in the decision-making process and assembly.  As in all salad cases, I use what I have on hand that is appropriate to the type of salad I'm making. I don't have a specific recipe for making Taco Salads, per se, but here is the general list of ingredients in the order of how they are layered on each individual plate.  I like to serve them on colorful Fiestaware plates atop a table covering with a Mexican theme.  What you see peaking out here is one I made from fabric by Alexander Henry called Frida's Garden.

TACO SALAD

Tortilla chips for base

Lettuces (romaine, head, butter crunch varieties)

Taco meat or chili (I prefer the latter)

Cubed avocado

Sliced black olives

Shredded Cheese

Salsa (your choice of brand and heat intensity)

Dollop of sour cream

Sliced scallions

Drizzle with ranch dressing

Crumbled Fritos give the top a bit of extra crunch and flavor, so I use these when I have them on hand.

Much of this, if not all can be prepared ahead, so these go together in no time.  Try one, and take the night off.


This is linked to Seasonal Sunday