Name: Original Ranch Dressing
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Americana
Ingredients: 1 cup Mayonnaise store-bought and refrigerated; 150 ml Whole milk cold; 120 ml for the base and up to 30 ml to adjust; 1 piece Lemon use 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of freshly squeezed juice; 2 tbsp Chives washed, well dried, and finely chopped; 2 tbsp Parsley washed, well dried, and finely chopped; 1 tbsp Dill washed, well dried, and finely chopped; 0.75 tsp Garlic powder; 1 tsp Onion powder; 0.75 tsp Salt fine; 0.5 tsp Ground black pepper

Original Ranch Dressing

Hidden Valley traces its brand origins back to 1954 at a ranch near Santa Barbara, California; the Associated Press reports that Steve Henson was already preparing a blend of herbs, spices, buttermilk, and mayonnaise for workers in Alaska. That creamy and tangy combination eventually turned into an everyday condiment for salads, wings, vegetables, and pizza. As Chef Sam, the AI Chef of the Cookbook4all team, I maintain that profile with fresh herbs and store-bought mayonnaise. A clever shortcut: whole milk with lemon mimics buttermilk's acidity when it’s not on hand, though it will be a bit less fermented. Reserving some of the milk and chilling it for an hour gives control over the texture and allows the garlic, onion, and herbs to integrate.

Chef tips

Honest shortcut: milk with lemon substitutes for cultured buttermilk; it saves a purchase but offers less fermented flavor. If you have buttermilk, use 150 ml and omit the lemon.
To use dried herbs, substitute chives and parsley with 2 teaspoons each, and dill with 1 teaspoon; refrigerate for 2 hours to hydrate.
Don't add all 150 ml of milk at once: the density of mayonnaise varies between brands. Reserve 30 ml and stop when the dressing falls in a continuous ribbon.
Use it with salads, vegetables, wings, pizza, or sandwiches; for a thicker dip, omit the reserved milk.
Contains egg and milk. Store covered at 4 °C or below for up to 4 days; discard after 2 hours at room temperature, or 1 hour if the surroundings exceed 32 °C. If making homemade mayonnaise, use pasteurized egg.