1/10/13

Balsamic Dressing and the Mystery of Ranch Dressing on Pizza




Homemade Balsamic. A thing of beauty. 


If you are the type who prefers anything BUT Ranch dressing on your salad, I think it's safe to say you'll love this recipe.
Not that there's anything wrong with Ranch. 
Just as long as it's not from a bottle. 
And it's no where near the top of my pizza. 
What is up with that? If you are reading this and you are not from the Beehive State, you probably had to re-read that sentence. True story. People in Utah LOVE to smother their pizza with Ranch dressing. I'm not sure why or how this started. It's one of those Utah phenomenons. I'm trying to picture people out to dinner (somewhere back in the mid 80's), ordering up pizza, looking at the Ranch dressing on the table and thinking, "Gee, wouldn't this delicious, cheesy pizza be so much better drenched in Ranch Dressing??!!" 
Speechless. 
Well, not really speechless, just not able to follow that thought process. Hmmm.

Homemade Balsamic dressing? Takes about 2 minutes to make, and goes with almost everything.
Chicken, Fish, Beef.
Pizza.
Ok, maybe not on top of pizza.


Balsamic Dressing
Food.com
print recipe

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix together all ingredients except olive oil in a blender or bowl.
When all ingredients are incorporated, add olive oil and blend well.
This dressing keeps in the refrigerator for one month.

Tips:
-I made this dressing for a large gathering recently and needed enough dressing to feed about 75 people. We tossed the salad with the dressing, and there was plenty of leftover dressing.
On the Food.com website there is a cool little tool showing the amount of servings in the recipe. You can place your cursor over the up or down arrow and increase or decrease the serving sizes. Once you hit enter, the recipe will update the amount of ingredients you need.

Balsamic for a crowd:

1 1/2 cup balsamic
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
12 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon pepper
3 cups olive oil

Mix together as recipe states above. 

13 comments:

  1. Ha ha ha! This made me laugh. no idea it was a utah thing. i thought it was because the side salad drenched in ranch would ooze over to the pizza. kind of like the bacon and maple syrup thing.

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    1. Oh Maria, maybe you are on to something here!

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  2. I am definitely guilty of smothering my pizza in ranch! And NEVER from a bottle, yuck.

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  3. It is done here in California as well. Not sure were it was started or why. I used to do it, not so much anymore.

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    1. Well interesting to hear this is done in Cali too! I've only seen people do it in utah :o

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  4. This is my favorite dressing Si. I love balsamic on just about everything. I almost died when my sister's family ordered Ranch dressing to dip their pizza in. I personally think it's a shame. Yuccc..

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  5. I grew up in Oregon, and my family dipped their pizza in ranch dressing all the time. I remember several friends doing so as well. Interestingly, now I have lived in Utah for the past 10 years but I have not witnessed it here. Maybe I just don't get out much!

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    Replies
    1. Tiff. That is really funny! You need to go out to eat with buy family :)

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  6. In texas I learned to dip pizza in a ranch and hot sauce combo. :)

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    Replies
    1. D,
      I thought Texan's had better taste than that!!

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  7. How do you feel about minced garlic from the jar?

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