# Ranch Potato Salad



## Andy M.

*Ranch Potato Salad*​ *
* 3 Lb            Yukon Gold Potatoes
½ C            Bottled Ranch Dressing
  1 Pkt            Ranch Dressing Mix
½ C            Mayonnaise
½ C            Sour Cream
  1 tsp             Celery Seed
1½ tsp            Salt
¼ tsp             Black Pepper
  1 Tb            Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tb            Dijon Mustard
1 Lb               Bacon, cooked and chopped
  1 Ea            Red Onion, diced
  1 Ea            Seedless Cucumber, peeled & cut up
½ C             Kalamata Olives, chopped
  6 Ea            Hard Cooked Eggs, sliced

  Peel and cube the potatoes. Cover with salted water and boil in a 4-quart saucepan until a knife tip inserted into the potato goes in easily.  Be careful not to overcook.  Drain the potatoes.

  While the potatoes are cooking, whisk together the dressing and dressing mix, mayonnaise, sour cream, celery seed, salt, pepper, vinegar and mustard. Toss this dressing with the cooked potatoes while they are still warm.

  Add the bacon, onion, cucumber and olives to the potato, and mix.

  Add the eggs and fold gently into the potato mixture.


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## Addie

Copied and saved. We love, love potato salad as well as Ranch Dressing.


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## Kayelle

Thanks for posting this Andy. I can see why you say it's "internationally famous" at your house.....it looks deeeelish!


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## Andy M.

Thanks, Kayelle.


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## Cooking Goddess

Andy, I'm afraid I gained a couple of pounds just reading that recipe.  It sounds absolutely delicious! BTW, about how many average eaters does this recipe serve? "Average" being the operative word.


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## Cheryl J

Thank you for sharing your recipe, Andy - it sounds delicious!  Easy to halve for smaller gatherings.  Copied and saved.


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## PrincessFiona60

Yum!  This sounds so good!  Thanks, Andy!


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## Andy M.

Cooking Goddess said:


> ...BTW, about how many average eaters does this recipe serve? "Average" being the operative word.




I don't know.  A lot.  If you're serving this, along with a bunch of other foods at a cookout, lots of servings. If you're using it as a side for you and your DH, not as many because it takes a more prominent role.


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## Kayelle

Andy, the addition of cucumber in a potato salad sounds both surprising and refreshing, and everyone knows life is better with bacon! I can't wait to give this a try.


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## Andy M.

Kayelle said:


> Andy, the addition of cucumber in a potato salad sounds both surprising and refreshing, and everyone knows life is better with bacon! I can't wait to give this a try.




I use cuke because I don't like celery, which is more common.  Feel free to sub celery if you like.


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## bethzaring

I am making modifications on the recipe I developed from some potato salad threads of years past.  I suspect I ruled out the ranch dressing when I did not buy store bought dressings.  Now I buy ranch by the 1/2 gallon!  And one pound of bacon?  I generally add 6 strips, may have to up that.


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## Kayelle

Andy, we just finished making a 1/2 recipe of your potato salad, I can see why you call it famous as we agree it's about the best we've ever tasted. We only made two minor changes in using red potatoes instead of gold, and used celery instead of cucumber. Sous Chef (the engineer) really appreciated your precise measurements for the dressing and it was indeed perfect. The 1/2 recipe made about 3 quarts of salad. 

This is a keeper of a recipe folks!


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## Cheryl J

Thanks for the review, Kay!  I'll for sure be making Andy's recipe next time I make a potato salad.


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## Andy M.

Thanks, Kayelle!  It's my own creation.  I started out using red potatoes and switched to Yukon Gold.  I think it's a toss-up.  Celery instead of cukes is reasonable as most people like celery and it's traditional in potato salad.  I'm really glad you guys liked it.

P.S. I write recipes for my anal retentive self.  So exact measurements are the norm for me.  If someone gives me a "less precise" recipe, I make it and re-write it for me.  My kids are used to me and my detail oriented life.

Short illustrative story.  SO and I and my two daughters went out for a 40th birthday brunch for my younger daughter.  As a gift I made her some of my onion bagels that she likes.  They came with instructions to freeze them.  To microwave one at full power for 25 seconds (in a 1000 watt microwave), then slice and toast it.

Birthday girl read the instructions and chuckled.  "What?" I asked.  She said, "I think it's cute that you think I know how many watts my microwave is."


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## lyndalou

Andy, How far ahead can you make this? I'm having friends over on Labor Day and this looks like something I'd like to make.


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## Andy M.

lyndalou said:


> Andy, How far ahead can you make this? I'm having friends over on Labor Day and this looks like something I'd like to make.



Hmmm, good question.  I usually make it the day before.  It keeps in the fridge for 4-5 days as I eat it for lunch and dinner to finish it off.


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## CWS4322

I would think you could substitute any cream - style dressings that nave a dry counterpart--Caesar,  creamy Italian, etc. I don't buy salad dressings, but for those who do, there is lots of room to play with this.


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## Kayelle

I often play with recipes CWS, I think most of us do. 

In the case of this recipe, I wanted to follow it exactly as I trust the author, and I can't see any way I would want to improve it. Too often we try to make a recipe "better" before we've given the recipe as it was written a chance. JMO


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## CWS4322

I can see adding anchovies, capers and parm cheese with a Caesar dressing; some Italian cured meat and parm for an Italian flair. I don't know if there is a powdered blue cheese dressing, but I love blue cheese dressing as the dip for fries and often make potato salad with homemade blue cheese buttermilk dressing.


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## taxlady

This recipe sounds really good. Stirling thinks so too. I'm figuring out how to modify it, because I don't buy dressings. The part with 1/2 a cup of dressing is easy. I'm figuring out how to substitute for the "1 Pkt            Ranch Dressing Mix". Does anyone know the weight of a packet of the mix?


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## lyndalou

Kayelle said:


> I often play with recipes CWS, I think most of us do.
> 
> In the case of this recipe, I wanted to follow it exactly as I trust the author, and I can't see any way I would want to improve it. Too often we try to make a recipe "better" before we've given the recipe as it was written a chance. JMO


 

You are so right...kinda irritating when that happens


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## Andy M.

taxlady said:


> This recipe sounds really good. Stirling thinks so too. I'm figuring out how to modify it, because I don't buy dressings. The part with 1/2 a cup of dressing is easy. I'm figuring out how to substitute for the "1 Pkt            Ranch Dressing Mix". Does anyone know the weight of a packet of the mix?



Each packet is 1 ounce and instructions are to mix it with 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of mayonnaise.  This is from the Hidden Valley Ranch box of four packets.


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## Kayelle

taxlady said:


> This recipe sounds really good. Stirling thinks so too. I'm figuring out how to modify it, because I don't buy dressings. The part with 1/2 a cup of dressing is easy. I'm figuring out how to substitute for the "1 Pkt            Ranch Dressing Mix". Does anyone know the weight of a packet of the mix?



I think you'll be hard pressed to duplicate the mix. I always love how they never tell you exactly what's in it, like "spices and artificial flavors" lol
The packets weigh 1 oz. Because the Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing mix is powdered, the  ingredients are either dried or dehydrated. Main ingredients include:  maltodextrin, buttermilk, salt, monosodium glutamate, dried garlic,  dried onion, lactic acid, citric acid, spices and artificial flavors.  Dried buttermilk adds the characteristic tang to the ranch dressing.
It sounds like dried buttermilk is a good starting point.
*
*


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## GotGarlic

taxlady said:


> This recipe sounds really good. Stirling thinks so too. I'm figuring out how to modify it, because I don't buy dressings. The part with 1/2 a cup of dressing is easy. I'm figuring out how to substitute for the "1 Pkt            Ranch Dressing Mix". Does anyone know the weight of a packet of the mix?



There are lots of copycat recipes online. Here's one: http://www.food.com/recipe/ranch-dressing-and-seasoning-mix-47249


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## taxlady

Andy M. said:


> Each packet is 1 ounce and instructions are to mix it with 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of mayonnaise.  This is from the Hidden Valley Ranch box of four packets.


Thank you Andy, so basically garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder some herbs, salt and pepper, and buttermilk powder. I don't have any buttermilk powder. If I make this before I get some (likely) I'll figure out another way to up the buttermilk flavour.


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## taxlady

GotGarlic said:


> There are lots of copycat recipes online. Here's one: Ranch Dressing And Seasoning Mix Recipe - Food.com


Thanks GG. That looks perfect. For some reason my Googlefu was missing when I tried to find a copycat recipe for the mix.


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## lyndalou

Andy,

I am feeding 12 people on Monday. Will your salad feed that many or should I increase the amount? Also, do you peel the potatoes ? Thanks


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## Andy M.

lyndalou said:


> Andy,
> 
> I am feeding 12 people on Monday. Will your salad feed that many or should I increase the amount? Also, do you peel the potatoes ? Thanks




Yes and yes.  I hope you and your guests like it.


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## lyndalou

I was able to buy just a single packet of the dried dressing mix. Making it first thing in the mo0rning to serve late afternoon tomorrow. Dressing is made and in the fridge along with my cole slaw dressing and homemade bbq sauce.  Having a fit, though, my oven is acting up amd I have 2 cakes ready to go. the darned thing won't preheat!


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## Cheryl J

Oh no, I hope you're not losing your oven, lyndalou! 

About 10 years ago, my oven decided to die 3 days before Thanksgiving.


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## lyndalou

Hey, Cheryl..it's not the first time it's done that. Sooooo I went out with my DH and bought a new one. Delivery Tuesday. Won't need the oven for my party so it's all good.
thanks.


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## fmw

Andy M. said:


> I use cuke because I don't like celery, which is more common.  Feel free to sub celery if you like.



I'm also not a celery eater.  Cucumber makes a super substitute for people like us.  It's a great recipe.


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