SALAD DRESSING CLONE RECIPES

The following salad dressing recipes are the result of fine tuning over the years. They are a huge hit at our house.

This first one is for Hidden Valley Ranch, and it is a dead ringer for commercial ranch, but creamier.

HIDDEN VALLEY 

RANCH CLONE

1 cup mayonnaise (low calorie is OK)
1 cup buttermilk (don't substitute)
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes (or 2 tablespoons fresh)
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder (not onion salt)
2 large pinches dried thyme

Whisk together and chill overnight before using.

NOTE:

Do NOT use this dressing right after you make it; it will NOT taste like ranch dressing. Something magical happens to it after it sits in the fridge overnight...trust me!!

*****

We like Light House brand Thousand Island salad dressing (in the grocery produce section) but the price has increased to nearly $6.00 for a small jar, which is crazy!! The following recipe is VERY close to the original, I hope you like it... picky-picky husband loves it.

LIGHT HOUSE 

THOUSAND ISLAND  CLONE

3/4 cup mayonnaise (low calorie is OK)
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 tablespoons finely minced celery
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Whisk everything together and refrigerate at least a couple of hours before using.

*****

NOTE: 

These salad dressings last an easy

10 days (or more) in the fridge

ENJOY !!!

MAPLE PORK TENDERLOIN IN THE CROCKPOT

This recipe gets five stars for two reasons...it is totally delicious AND super simple. As a matter of fact, it is one of the best crockpot recipes that I've tried in a long time. You cannot get much simpler than this: brown the pork loin, cover it with sauce and 8 hours later (my crockpot only took 6 hours) and you have fork-tender, delicious pork loin and a gravy that is amazing.

 2 1/2 pound boneless pork loin
1 cup real maple syrup (DON'T USE PANCAKE SYRUP)
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
salt and pepper

I bought my pork loin, vacuum packed from Walmart (2½ pounds seems to be a standard size). When you open the package, there will be two long loin pieces. I cut each one into three pieces, then salted and peppered them and browned them in a little olive oil. Place the browned pieces in a wide crockpot for even cooking (as opposed to the taller crockpots).

In a small bowl, whisk the maple syrup (do not use pancake syrup, it is way too sweet and will ruin your pork, trust me), Dijon mustard, cider vinegar and soy sauce together. Pour over browned pork loin pieces. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours (my crockpot took only 6 hours). If you use a different cut of pork, you may have to use the full 8 hours. It isn't absolutely necessary, but try and turn the meat over a couple of times during the cooking process. When it is time to eat, thicken the gravy. I served this with rice and coleslaw. It also made delicious sandwiches the next day.

NOTE: If you are concerned about the maple flavor being overpowering...don't be. As a matter of fact, it is almost a background flavor, but it IS there, and the meat was extremely tender and just slightly sweet. This is a fantastic recipe for any special occasion.

ENJOY !!!

BACON EGG and CHEESE TOAST CUPS

This recipe is eye catching and tasty. It has several (easy) steps, but you can do most of them early in the day (or even the day before) and then finish it all up just before serving.

For each "nest", you will need one circle of toast, a pinch of cheese, one egg and one slice of precooked bacon. Make sure you use standard-thickness bacon because thick bacon will NOT work for this recipe.

These little beauties are quite filling and two of them make a hearty breakfast.

THE "DO AHEAD" PART:

Spray the cupcake pan generously with vegetable spray, then put a "toast circle" (un-buttered) in the very bottom of each cupcake well.

Next, pre-fry the bacon. I do mine in the oven because it comes out perfectly flat and easy to work with.  Click HERE for my post on cooking bacon in the oven.

Bake the bacon at 375 (no need to preheat the oven) for about 20 minutes, (or) if you are frying it, cook it about 2/3 done (you will want it almost "done" but still pliable). Drain the bacon but don't let it cool down too much because it tends to get stiff as it cools down. Quickly wrap the warm bacon inside each cupcake well, like this:

Add a healthy pinch of shredded cheddar (we also like Pepper Jack cheese) on top of the toast, like this:

At this point, you can put them in the fridge (covered) and finish putting them together later.

WHEN IT's TIME TO EAT:

Preheat your oven to 400 and carefully break one egg into each "nest"

Sprinkle with kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper. Put them into the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until the eggs are done to your liking. 

Let the cooked eggs sit in the pan for a minute or two before removing (don't worry, they stay very hot). Letting them sit in the pan makes them easy to remove.

Scoop the baked egg cups out of the pan with a spoon. If you like your eggs well done (like we do), you can pick these up and eat them out of hand, but if you like a soft set egg, you'll need a plate and fork.

ENJOY !!!