Make your own: Ranch Dressing Mix

While menu planning this week, I selected three recipes in a row that call for dry ranch dressing mix.  What can I say?  I love me some ranch.  Luckily, I had come across a recipe for homemade ranch dressing mix a few weeks ago, so instead of forking out $1.79 per packet, I forked out around $2 for the ingredients to make around 15 packets-worth.  Added bonus?  I actually know what's in my ranch dressing mix.

My obsessive saving of empty peanut butter jars comes in handy sometimes...

There are a ton of variations out there, ranging from just a few ingredients to...just a few more ingredients.  Here's the one I decided on, mostly because I had all of the herbs and spices in my cupboard, but also because it has dry buttermilk in it, which seems more authentic to me, and also also because it makes a lot. 

Ranch Dressing Mix

1 c. dry buttermilk (find this in the baking aisle by the dry milk/evaporated milk/condensed milk/coconut milk)
6 T. dry parsley (you can pick up a jar at Aldi or the Dollar Store for $1)
2 T. dill weed
2 T. onion powder (also at Aldi or the Dollar Store)
2 T. salt (leave this out if you want sodium free ranch mix)
1 T. garlic powder (you know the drill: Aldi or Dollar Store)
1.5 t. ground black pepper.

Place all ingredients into a pint size jar and shake. That's it!  Substitute 2 T for one packet in recipes, or mix 2 T with 1-2 c. sour cream for dip.

My dry buttermilk says it should be stored in the fridge, so that's where I keep my ranch mix.

Now.  Those recipes?
Crock Pot Pesto Ranch Chicken--yummy.  We made sandwiches using 30 minute rolls, but you could also serve this over pasta, rice or mashed potatoes.
Taco Bean Soup -- Mmmm!  My favorite.  I make a large batch and freeze the leftovers in meal-sized portions for easy lunches.
Cracked-out Chicken Noodle Casserole--this was really good, and makes a lot.  Divide into 2 or 3 casseroles, bake one and freeze the rest for future meals.

Enjoy, my friends.