Upgrade Store-Bought Ranch With Cheese And Thank Us Later

Most of us can't get enough of ranch dressing, since this creamy, herb-infused condiment pairs effortlessly with many of our favorite foods. Not only is ranch dressing delicious on a wide variety of salads, but this dairy-rich dressing is often used as a dipping sauce for iconic food favorites like pizza, chicken wings, and breadsticks. While you may wish you had more free time to make your own ranch dressing from scratch, most foodies rely on their favorite store-bought varieties for a quicker, more convenient way to upgrade daily eats. If you enjoy bottled ranch dressing, but often wish this multi-use condiment had a little more texture and flavor, try adding a bit of cheese.

Sure enough, people enjoy ranch dressing not only for its cool zesty taste but also for its savory underlying flavor. To give your bottled ranch dressing added savoriness and a quick boost of texture, cheese gets the job done. However, there are certain types of cheese that work best when mixed into this cold and creamy salad dressing. 

To shine through ranch dressing's varied ingredients — which almost always include a variety of herbs, garlic, and rich buttermilk – crumbled cheese varieties that tout distinct flavors work especially well. But luckily, there are many options. You can use more than one type of cheese if you want to upgrade your store-bought ranch dressing.

When choosing the right cheese to mix into your beloved ranch, consider how you plan on enjoying this upgraded condiment. If you're looking to add a dollop of cheese-infused ranch dressing to ground beef tacos with zesty guacamole, use cotija cheese. This Mexican variety is not only crumbly, but has an extra salty bite.

Alternatively, if you're looking for a savory dip to dress up your favorite spicy foods, ranch dressing mixed with crumbled blue cheese is a match made in flavor heaven. For a refreshingly bold way to cool down the intensity of oven-baked buffalo wings, blue cheese-infused ranch is a surefire option. When adding this upgraded ranch to pulled pork sandwiches, add extra cheese to give your ranch a slightly thicker consistency. For Italian dishes like pizza, grated parmesan adds a nutty tanginess to creamy ranch. If you don't have a specific dish in mind and simply desire a ranch dressing with added complexity, use feta cheese. If you want to use feta but desire something a little sharper, go with an aged feta. 

Cheese-infused ranch dressing can be used on all sorts of your favorite dishes. However, if crumbly cheeses aren't your favorite and you wish to imbue your ranch dressing with shredded cheese, you have a few alternative solutions.

If you prefer classically shredded cheeses like sharp cheddar, gouda, or Monterey Jack, there are a few creative ways to enjoy these varieties intermixed with ranch dressing. The best way to do so is to turn these ingredients into a dip. The primary reason adding shredded cheeses, like cheddar or Colby Jack, to bottled ranch dressing isn't recommended is that the more subtle flavor of these shredded cheeses is often lost when mixed with pungent ranch dressing. 

To prevent this from happening, you can combine shredded cheese with a ranch seasoning packet — rather than some bottled ranch — to make an amazing sour cream dip. Simply combine some sour cream, cream cheese, and mayonnaise and then mix in your favorite shredded cheese variety and dried ranch seasoning. By using a concentrated seasoning packet, you can effectively control how much herb-infused flavor to give this cheesy dip alternative.

As another option, enjoy shredded cheese and ranch dressing by turning these ingredients into a hot fondue dip. Upon making a roux of flour and butter, heat and combine milk, bottled ranch dressing, and shredded cheese in a saucepan until melted. Control the resulting flavor of this dip by adding more cheese than ranch. While there are a few delicious ways to enjoy the flavor of ranch dressing and your favorite shredded cheese, for a more simple upgrade to your favorite store-bought dressing, stick to a crumbly cheese variety.