Creamy, tart, and mildly sweet, this simple coleslaw dressing is a great condiment for coleslaws, salads, and tons of other side dishes. We’ve been making it for years now, and it’s always a welcome addition to the dinner table.

We’ve grown to love our classic memphis-style coleslaw so much, we make it frequently. But, what I’ve found over the years is that nothing beats a freshly dressed slaw. Pre-made coleslaw just sits there, getting soggy. So, I’ve taken to making this coleslaw dressing recipe in advance and keeping it in the fridge alongside the rest of our favorite salad dressings. That way, when it’s time to eat, I just shred the cabbage, drizzle the dressing, and toss. Always fresh. Always crisp.

Coleslaw Dressing

I’ve been making dressings from scratch since long before the start of this blog. The convenience of prepping my favorite condiments with ingredients I have at home just can’t be beat. And, making your dressings fresh gives you flavor that is SO much better than bottled!

This one is southern style, through and through. Creamy mayo base, a good hit of apple cider vinegar for tang, a bit of sugar, and celery seeds. Those celery seeds are a must. They bring just the right earthy, peppery bite to contrast the sweet sugar. Try them in this recipe for coleslaw dressing, and you’ll never go back.

Beyond coleslaw, this dressing is versatile enough to bring a coleslaw kick to plenty of other salads. And, I don’t want to brag, but I’ve watched someone come back for thirds of this slaw at a cookout. So there’s that.

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Spicy and tangy, this creamy Chipotle Ranch is a delicious, absolutely irresistible topping for salads, burgers, fries, and more. I throw this one together quite frequently, as it is one of my newest favorites. I like to have it on hand for last minute pizza and salad nights.

I have been making homemade salad dressings for my family for as long as my boy’s can remember. It’s hard to believe that this site got its name from the pitter patter of their tiny feet in the kitchen, now that two of them are already in their twenties! But, over the past two decades, I’ve made about a boatload of my homemade ranch dressing. This recipe for chipotle ranch dressing gives those classic flavors a fun, spicy twist.

Chipotle Ranch

On busy nights where I’m throwing together dinner at the last minute, a jar of this dressing is a total life saver. This is a classic, well-rounded dressing that features the gentle heat of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.

We’ve loved it for years, and have found a seemingly endless number of uses for it. Dressing a salad? Yes. Topping a burger? Absolutely. Dipping fries? Say less! No matter the meal, my crew will happily use this recipe whenever ranch is required.

Ingredients and Substitutions

The Dairy – I use mayonnaise, sour cream, and whole milk to make the creamy, mildly tangy foundation for this dressing.

Seasonings – The backbone of the flavors in this ranch come from five main ingredients from the spice cabinet: d

If you’re like me, you probably enjoyed a classic taco salad more than once in your childhood. It’s a staple for many family and potluck events and has been for years. And if you ate taco salad in the 70s, 80s, or 90s, it was likely made with Catalina salad dressing.

Ranch dressing may have taken over in popularity for many salad lovers (and pizza lovers, vegetable lovers, chip lovers, you get my point), but Catalina still has a place in the fridge for many of us. That said, the homemade Catalina dressing I love today is a far cry from the grocery store versions I recall.

Catalina Dressing

Catalina is fresh, bold, tangy, and sweet, (though a lot less sweet than commercial versions!) with plenty of zesty flavors to keep things interesting. At this point in my life, I could write an ode to homemade salad dressings.

I love how easy they are to make, and the fact you can adjust the flavors so easily to your tastes transforms every day dishes into something extra special. Want a little heat? Add a pinch of cayenne. Or for a bit of smoky flavor, try a dash of smoked paprika instead of the plain variety.

There’s nothing at all complicated about making most salad dressings, nothing at all. You just combine everything in a jar, seal it tightly with a lid, and give it a shake. For dressings (like this one and classic balsamic vinaigrette), I like to use the blender to emulsify the dressing. That way, it won’t separate as quickly and doesn’t require as much shaking when you’re ready to use it.

I used this batch of Catalina dressing in an old-school taco salad, and wow, was this ever nostalgic. Crunchy crisp lettuce, seasoned ground beef, shredded cheese, tomatoes, and crunchy tortilla chips, all tossed with this zesty red dressing. There’s just something about Catalina dressing that ties all those flavors together perfectly.

The taco salads I recall from childhood were usually made with plain tortilla chips, tossed whole

If you enjoy making your own salad dressings (and you already know that I do!), this honey dijon vinaigrette is a great one to keep on hand. It’s made with simple ingredients from the pantry and fridge, it’s quick to make, full of terrific flavor, and works with just about anything—from simple side salads to grilled chicken or roasted vegetables.

Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

All you need are a few basic ingredients: olive oil, vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Everything gets added to a jar and shaken until it comes together. That really is it. There’s no whisking, no blender, and no mess.

The flavor is tangy from the vinegar, a little sweet from the honey, and just bold enough thanks to the mustard. You can adjust the honey if you want it to be a bit sweeter or use a little more Dijon for a stronger kick. I usually use white balsamic vinegar because it’s smooth and a little sweet, but apple cider vinegar works great too.

You already know that a homemade honey mustard vinaigrette is going to taste so much better than anything you can grab off the shelf at the store. However, I honestly can’t think of a single homemade salad dressing for which that isn’t the truth.

You’re certain to find several homemade dressings in my fridge at any given time. From classic ranch dressing (with almost 2,000 comments and 5-star reviews!) to this smoky, slightly spicy blackened ranch, dill pickle ranch dressing, or this spicy green chile ranch (just like Dion’s – for those of us who live too far away to keep it on hand) there isn’t a ranch dressing or dip that my family doesn’t love.

Whatever you’re craving, th

Ranch dressing meets my undying love for dill pickles in this recipe for dill pickle ranch dressing. Drizzled over a salad or served as a dip for just about anything, this disappears within a few days of making it every time I stir a batch together.

Dill Pickle Ranch Dressing

Creamy, tangy, homemade ranch dressing is packed with plenty of garlic, dill, parsley, and chives, making it a hit at every meal. When you add the bold flavor of pickles to ranch, though? It takes the flavors straight over the top.

Just thin enough to pour smoothly, without becoming too liquid or watered down: the creaminess of the dressing is well balanced by the tang of those pickles.

Dill Pickle Ranch Dip

But wait, this isn’t just for salads. I often reduce the milk (or skip it entirely by adding equal parts additional sour cream or mayo) and make this thicker for a ranch dip that my kids can’t get enough of when snacking.

We dunk chicken tenders and potato chips into it. It also makes a zesty pickle-lover’s burger sauce or sandwich spread. Odds are good that you’re going to want to put this on just about everything.

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