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“Don’t mess with the classics”. That’s not always a rule that I follow. But sometimes it’s nice to return to them and make them just as they were meant to be. It’s ok to resist the urge to change things up. Just follow the recipe. Use the same ingredients. The same amounts. And enjoy the reason that it’s a classic. Like this classic Thousand Island salad dressing. There’s nothing complicated here. No need to mess with it. Just make it and enjoy! I certainly did!

The Key To Success
Even though this classic Thousand Island salad dressing is pretty easy to make, I think that using grated onion is important in it coming out great each and every time. I used to use a microplane grater to grate my onion. The onion would fall apart and I’d get frustrated. Now, I use my cheese grater to make perfect (and super easy!) grated onion each and every time. I just put in a chunk of onion and get to cranking! Perfect!
Oh, and use fresh lemon juice. If you can. Sometimes I can’t, I admit it. The lemons will look so sad at the grocery store that I question why they are even out in the bins. That’s when I have to use the stuff from concentrate. Gotta do what you gotta do!
Why is it called Thousand Island? Because it came from the Thousand Islands in the St Lawrence river!
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Also try my quick fix Franch salad dressing. Yes, Franch. Try it, it’s great too!
Classic Thousand Island Salad Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish heaping
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon onion grated
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, lemon juice and onion in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Add a little salt and pepper and whisk.
- Taste and add more seasoning if desired. You may also want to add a bit more relish.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
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A fantastic version of the traditional dressing.