Blue Cheese Dressing

This blue cheese dressing was one of the first recipes I made from Brother Jimmy’s BBQ: More than 100 Recipes (a cookbook I can not longer seem to find online!). I picked it because because it just so happened that I was making wings for lunch that day and I needed something (other than bottled Ranch dressing) for dipping. This was it. And this will be it from now on, because this is the easiest, best blue cheese dressing you can make. Not only great for wings, it’s great on salads or for dipping veggies. Anything.

Blue Cheese Dressing

I prefer Gorgonzola versus say, Roquefort, when a recipe calls for blue cheese. It’s a little milder and doesn’t overpower the dressing.

There are so many great cookbooks, and so little time. Our local library has online checkout of literally thousands of cookbooks. They come right to my PC or Kindle. That’s great and…. sorta not! Easy access to tons and tons of cookbooks means I read them for hours and hours on end. I end up bookmarking recipe after recipe. And then my stomach starts to growl. So then I end up making recipe after recipe. And the spiral continues! Day after day!

Also try my Buffalo wing dipping sauce.

Blue Cheese Dressing
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5 from 1 vote

Blue Cheese Dressing

This is the easiest, best blue cheese dressing you can make. Not only great for wings, it’s great on salads or for dipping veggies. Anything.
Course Dressing
Cuisine American
Keyword blue cheese, homemade salad dressing
Prep Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 2 cups
Calories 897kcal
Author Inspired by a recipe from Brother Jimmy’s BBQ

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayonnaise not light!
  • ½ cup blue cheese crumbled, or Gorgonzola
  • Pinch sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon lime juice freshly squeezed
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 teaspoons sour cream

Instructions

  • Whisk together all ingredients. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 897kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 95g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 1479mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 381IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 197mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Deli Sandwich Spread

I love having sandwiches for lunch. The can be anywhere from simple to fancy, depending on my mood (and available time). I knew by the end of last week that there was going to be a sandwich-kind-of-weekend coming up, so I made a nice big batch of this fantastically simple but oh-so-delicious deli sandwich spread. Nice and creamy, perfectly spreadable, it has a nice herby hint. I felt fru-fru eating my sandwich, and that takes something let me tell you!

Deli Sandwich Spread

For a little kick, add a pinch or two of red pepper flake to this deli sandwich spread. Stir and let the spread set an extra hour or so in the fridge. It definitely gets better with time but if you’re in a hurry go for it. Slather it on and eat it up. It’s still great stuff no matter when you eat it.

This spread is also great on wraps.

Substitute Creole mustard for the Dijon for a down-south twist.

I recently discovered Blue Plate mayonnaise, which I think is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.

Try my stuffed deli sandwich too. It’ll make you happy.

Deli Sandwich Spread
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5 from 1 vote

Deli Sandwich Spread

I knew by the end of last week that there was going to be a sandwich-kind-of-weekend coming up, so I made a nice big batch of this fantastically simple but oh-so-delicious deli sandwich spread. Nice and creamy, perfectly spreadable, it has a nice herby hint.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword sandwich, sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 148kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving

Nutrition

Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 82IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Copycat Subway Chipotle Southwest Sauce

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. When it comes to making a sandwich, I don’t go by the serving size on the meat package. One slice? Two at most? That’s not a sandwich, that’s an hors d’oeuvre. Same goes for the spread. I made a batch of a copycat of Subway chipotle southwest sauce. Did I dot it on the bread? Nope. Slathered. Thick. Piled high with my favorite toppings, it was a sandwich to remember.

Copycat Subway Chipotle Southwest Sauce

This copycat Subway chipotle southwest sauce is fresh, with a hint of citrus and fresh cilantro, but also with a little kick thanks to one of my favorites, ground chipotle chile. I love the smoky heat that ground chipotle chiles bring to whatever I use it in. It’s not over-the-top spicy or smoky, it’s just right.

Also try my copycat of the great bread at Subway.

Copycat Subway Chipotle Southwest Sauce
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5 from 1 vote

Copycat Subway Chipotle Southwest Sauce

The chipotle southwest sauce is fresh, with a hint of citrus and fresh cilantro, but also with a little kick thanks to one of my favorites, ground chipotle chile. 
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword sandwich, sauce
Prep Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours
Servings 1 cup
Calories 785kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients.
  • Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to let the flavors ‘get happy’ before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 785kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 84g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 1302mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 310IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Maple Cranberry Sauce

I’m not usually a cranberry sauce-kind-of-guy, so I have no prior experience making it from scratch. But when I came across this recipe for maple cranberry sauce it sounded good (even to me) so I hopped right in and made a double batch for Thanksgiving. It was a big hit. I also discovered that cooking fresh cranberries can be fun. They go ‘pop’ as they cook. Cool!

Maple Cranberry Sauce

Use real maple syrup in this maple cranberry sauce. Only the real stuff. And as I note, I could not find fresh oranges. Substituting bottled came out just fine. Add about 1/4 cup, taste, and see if you want to add more. I used no-pulp orange juice. The sauce came out fantastic!

This sauce goes best with a turkey roasted on the Char-Broil Big Easy.

Maple Cranberry Sauce
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5 from 1 vote

Maple Cranberry Sauce

I’m not usually a cranberry sauce-kind-of-guy, so I have no prior experience making it from scratch. But when I came across this recipe for maple cranberry sauce it sounded good (even to me) so I hopped right in and made a double batch for Thanksgiving. It was a big hit.
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword cranberry, sauce, sweet
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 44kcal
Author Inspired by Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients

  • 1 12 ounce fresh cranberries rinsed and picked over
  • cup maple syrup
  • cup water
  • 1 orange juiced and zested

Instructions

  • Transfer all ingredients to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
  • Stir and let the mixture simmer. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened and all of the cranberries have burst. Stir occasionally.
  • Remove from heat and let cool slightly before serving.

Notes

I could not find fresh oranges so I substituted just over 1/4 cup of bottled no-pulp orange juice

Nutrition

Calories: 44kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 37IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Pepper Onion Beer Sauce

I had a bunch (and I do mean a bunch!) of ham leftover from cooking a big ham on my Char-Broil Big Easy. I could’ve made more sandwiches. Or I could dice up some ham for omelets. Instead, I decided to warm up some nice thick slices and top them with this wonderful pepper onion beer sauce. It looks like your pretty standard vegetable topping, but with a twist: orange marmalade. Whoa! I wasn’t expecting that!

Pepper Onion Beer Sauce

This pepper onion beer sauce really goes well with ham, but I also think it’d compliment grilled chicken just as well. Don’t like orange marmalade? I bet you could substitute your favorite marmalade or preserves.

I like to use my good ole trusty Dutch oven to make this sauce and pretty much darned near anything like it on my stovetop. It’s nice and big and sturdy. That extra weight helps it maintain and distribute heat perfectly. As an added bonus, it’s actually pretty easy to clean up too!

Pepper Onion Beer Sauce
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4 from 1 vote

Pepper Onion Beer Sauce

I decided to warm up some nice thick slices and top them with this wonderful pepper onion beer sauce. It looks like your pretty standard vegetable topping, but with a twist: orange marmalade.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword beer, sauce, vegetable
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 177kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat
  • Add the bell peppers and onion and saute for 5 minutes
  • Add the beer, orange marmalade, soy sauce and hot sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and continue simmering until the vegetables are softened and the sauce is reduced.
  • Serve over sliced ham or grilled chicken.

Nutrition

Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 280mg | Potassium: 146mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 546IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Bacon Buttermilk Dressing

It was Wedge Salad Day (WSD) here. I love a cold slice of iceberg with my favorite salad go-tos, like boiled eggs, avocado and cherry tomatoes. And bacon. For more bacony flavor goodness I made a bacon buttermilk dressing. Nice and creamy smooth, but with a hint of smokiness and a little crunch.

Bacon Buttermilk Dressing


The Dijon mustard adds a nice contrast to this bacon buttermilk dressing. A little tang. You could leave it out for a more mellow flavor and the dressing would be just as great. I like to consider this dressing ‘drink worthy’, a sign of a great salad dressing.

Also try my blue cheese vinaigrette. It’s perfect on a wedge salad too!

Bacon Buttermilk Dressing
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4 from 1 vote

Bacon Buttermilk Dressing

I love a cold slice of iceberg with my favorite salad go-tos, like boiled eggs, avocado and cherry tomatoes. And bacon. For more bacony flavor goodness I made a bacon buttermilk dressing. 
Course Dressing
Cuisine American
Keyword bacon, buttermilk, homemade salad dressing
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Calories 274kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
  • Refrigerate until ready to use.

Nutrition

Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 1486mg | Potassium: 332mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 986IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 237mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Honky Tonk Sweet and Spicy Salad Dressing

Sweet and spicy is right. I’m not sure about the Honky Tonk part but wow, what a great dressing! It has a nice vinegar hit. This Honky Tonk sweet and spicy salad dressing has a nice little ‘kick’ to it, thanks to the addition of Sriracha sauce. And my favorite, celery seed. I absolutely love celery seed in everything from a salad dressing to a seasoning rub to coleslaw. If you’re looking for a break from your tired old salad dressing, this is it.

Honky Tony Sweet and Spicy Salad Dressing

This Honky Tonk sweet and spicy salad dressing gets even better as it sits. But I have to say, it didn’t sit long around our house. I really like it a lot. It’s different in a very, very good way. I like to make a double batch and keep it in salad dressing serving bottles in the fridge. I’m kind of a dressing-aholic so it’s best that I have extra on hand at all times.

This dressing comes out nice and smooth. There’s nothing ‘lumpy’ in it. But, I let it process a bit extra because I wanted it doubly creamy smooth. It was worth the extra few seconds.

Also try my spicy creamy coconut salad dressing and my Catalina salad dressing.

Honky Tony Sweet and Spicy Salad Dressing
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5 from 1 vote

Honky Tonk Sweet and Spicy Salad Dressing

Sweet and spicy is right. I’m not sure about the Honky Tonk part but wow, what a great salad dressing!
Course Salad Dressing
Cuisine American
Keyword homemade salad dressing, spicy, sweet
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 203kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.

Nutrition

Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 3232mg | Potassium: 123mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 244IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Dill Ranch Salad Dressing

My wife and I recently spent a few days at the Dollywood DreamMore Resort and Spa. We had such a wonderful time there. One of the biggest highlights was the buffet. Normally when you think buffet you think low quality food, mostly pre-made. Oh that’s definitely not the case at the DreamMore. Everything was made from scratch and everything was out-of-this-world delicious.

Dill Ranch Salad Dressing

One of the things I loved the most, interestingly enough, was the house-made dill Ranch salad dressing. It was delicious. I could’ve just drank it out of the bottle. I knew instantly that I had to make some when I got home. Now, this version is mighty good, too, but I’m pretty sure that the DreamMore version used fresh herbs (they had a nice herb garden right outside of the restaurant). Even still, this is delicious and a perfect alternative to ‘normal’ Ranch.

Do not be tempted to rush the 1 hour rest time that this dill Ranch salad dressing needs. Those dry herbs need time to make the dressing happy. I really love dill so I added a bit more than the recipe calls for.

Oh and it wasn’t just the dinner buffet that was amazing at the DreamMore! The breakfast buffet was something to behold, including homemade donuts!

Also try my herby Ranch dressing.

Dill Ranch Salad Dressing
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5 from 1 vote

Dill Ranch Salad Dressing

Do not be tempted to rush the one hour rest time that this dill Ranch salad dressing needs. Those dry herbs need time to make the dressing happy. 
Course Salad Dressing
Cuisine American
Keyword dill, homemade salad dressing, Ranch
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Calories 846kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Whisk together all ingredients.
  • Add more milk (a little at a time) if you want the dressing to be thinner. Don’t go crazy with it, though.
  • Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using. Stir again before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 846kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 88g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 551mg | Potassium: 433mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1581IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 306mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Quick Fix BBQ Ranch Dressing

A lot of restaurant signature sauces start with simple, off-the-shelf ingredients. A restaurant near us starts with BBQ sauce and Ranch, just like with this quick fix BBQ Ranch dressing, and then adds a few other ingredients (such as crumbled cooked bacon) to make it different for different dishes, such as for dipping onion rings or chicken wings. They also use it as a spicy version of their house Ranch salad dressing for well, you guessed it, salads.

Quick Fix BBQ Ranch Dressing

This quick fix BBQ Ranch dressing isn’t just for salads, though. That’s for sure. I squirted it on a big plate of French fries. Then I dipped grilled chicken wings in it. I slathered it on hot-off-the-grill hamburgers. Heck, it’s great on wraps too!

Just make sure you start with good, quality BBQ sauce and Ranch dressing. And don’t hesitate to use a spicy BBQ sauce, or one with a bit of smoky flavor to it.

This dressing will last a while in the fridge, if there happens to be any leftover. Just make sure to give it a good shake or stir before serving.

Also try my dill Ranch dressing. Oh, and this dressing is fantastic on my Santa Fe chicken salad.

Quick Fix Bloody Mary Potato Chips
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5 from 1 vote

Easy BBQ Ranch Dressing

A lot of restaurant signature sauces start with simple, off-the-shelf ingredients. A restaurant near us starts with BBQ sauce and Ranch, just like with this quick fix BBQ Ranch dressing, and then adds a few other ingredients.
Course Dressing
Cuisine American
Keyword BBQ, Ranch, salad dressing
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 2 cups
Calories 827kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Whisk together the two ingredients.
  • Add any embellishments and stir to combine.

Nutrition

Calories: 827kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 2781mg | Potassium: 406mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 50g | Vitamin A: 366IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Wedge and Cobb salads are always my favorites. I can throw either one together in no time at all with a variety of ingredients, whatever I have on hand. If I’m in a hurry I might grab a simple oil-and-vinegar dressing out of the pantry, but if I have a spare minute or two I like to make my own. Like this blue cheese vinaigrette. Easy to make using ingredients I almost always have on hand. It packs that nice blue cheese twang, along with a little hit of mustard. It was perfect on my simple wedge salad.

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

I like to use smoked pepper and salt when making this blue cheese vinaigrette. It adds a nice unexpected flavor. Subtle but definitely different than ‘normal’ salt and pepper.

I serve my dressings in squeeze bottles or sometimes dipping sauce bowls.

Also try my bacon buttermilk dressing or roasted red pepper vinaigrettes on a wedge salad. For something different, make my balsamic smoked honey vinaigrette.

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
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5 from 1 vote

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

If I’m in a hurry I might grab a simple oil-and-vinegar dressing out of the pantry, but if I have a spare minute or two I like to make my own. Like this blue cheese vinaigrette. 
Course Dressing
Cuisine American
Keyword homemade salad dressing, vinaigrette
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 192kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Whisk together the cheese, vinegar, and mustard.
  • While still whisking add the olive oil.
  • Season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition

Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 140mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 66IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.