Marzetti Puts Spin on Ranch and Blue Cheese Dressings

Ranch dressing is almost as American as apple pie and blue cheese is not far behind. So why does Marzetti sell its Simply Dressed product series from the refrigerated section rather than the store shelf? A closer look at ingredients and versatility explains.

Marzetti's Simply Dressed ranch and blue cheese dressings: What's in them?

The ranch dressing is made with canola oil, buttermilk, water, salted egg yolk, distilled vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, sugar, sea salt, dehydrated garlic and onion, xanthan gum and spices. In contrast, the off-the-shelf version from another manufacturer contains some similar ingredients -- in addition to monosodium glutamate and artificial flavors and preservatives.

With 12 grams of fat, one of which is saturated, and 250 mg of sodium per serving, Marzetti comes in lower than the store's shelved ranch dressing. A point in favor of the shelf kind: Cholesterol. Marzetti contains 20mg per serving while the shelf bottle only features 10mg. Moreover, the shelf brand offers two percent of vitamin C, while Marzetti lacks it. Then again, the latter offers 410mg of omega-3, which the shelf brand cannot boast.

Marzetti's Simply Dressed blue cheese is equally as limited when it comes to hard to pronounce ingredients. It contains canola oil, water, blue cheese, buttermilk, salted egg yolk, distilled vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, sugar, sea salt, xanthan gum, dehydrated garlic and cultured whey. Two tablespoons feature 14g of fat (two saturated), 20mg of cholesterol and 240mg of sodium. It offers two percent calcium and 430mg of omega-3.

But how does it taste?

Marzetti's Simply Dressed ranch and also blue cheese dressings have different tastes and textures than the store brands with similar names. For example, the ranch dressing is a lot milder when compared to the best sellers. As a result, it does not pair well with spicy chicken wings, since they simply overwhelm the taste buds.

The same holds true for the blue cheese dressing. Consumers who are accustomed to the somewhat pungent aroma and taste of this dressing -- and who might have avoided it for this reason -- will find that Marzetti's brand is a welcome relief. In fact, the mildness of the flavor makes it perfect for a pairing with bread or veggies as a dip.

Recipe Suggestion

To let the ranch flavor come out, it is a good idea to pair it with ingredients that are not palate busters. Here is a great way of combining both ranch and blue cheese dressings in a dish that would work well as an evening meal.

1. Chop a head of romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Disregard the bottom quarter, where the leaves and stems are bitterest.

2. Chop green onions into bite-sized bits.

3. Add canned sliced beets and pitted black olives.

4. Mix and top with croutons and sun dried tomatoes.

5. Drizzle with Marzetti's Simply Dressed ranch.

6. Thinly slice wholegrain bread into squares. Arrange these squares on the side of the plate.

7. Put a bit of Marzetti's Simply Dressed blue cheese dressing into a container. Dip the bread into the blue cheese dressing and enjoy.

Let the kind reader please take notice that I received this product for free and that I was compensated for the article.