Subbing "processed" food ingredients with "from scratch"

[Zereh]

I found this recipe in several spots, so I can only assume that it works well as a substitute. And while it makes a huge amount, you could just use it as a guideline to figure out what spices to use to replicate the flavor:


Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

15 saltines
2 cups dry parsley flakes, minced
1/2 cup instant minced onion
2 tablespoons dry dill weed
1/4 cup onion salt
1/4 cup garlic salt
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup garlic powder

Dump all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until completely powdered.

To Use: combine 1 Tbsp. dry mix, 1 cup of may & 1 cup of buttermilk.

[Zhizara]

Originally Posted by cmarchibald

Next up!

I have a recipe for a casserole that I really want to make, but it calls for a pkg of ranch dressing mix (the Hidden Valley Ranch powdered variety). I don't have any and can't buy it here. Can I substitute something else without having to go buy a bottle of ranch dressing?

Do you have Italian salad dressing mix? What's the casserole like? Is the ranch dressing for seasoning?

I like the recipe to make your own, too.

Thanks, Zereh, I printed out my own copy!

[cmarchibald]

Originally Posted by Zhizara

Do you have Italian salad dressing mix? What's the casserole like? Is the ranch dressing for seasoning?

I like the recipe to make your own, too.

Thanks, Zereh, I printed out my own copy!

It doesn't call for actual ranch dressing, so I wouldn't want to make ranch dressing necessarily. It calls for the powdered mix to use, as you guessed, for seasoning.

Here's the recipe:

Squash Casserole

6-8 yellow or zucchini squash
1 large onion or 3-4 green onions, chopped

Cook squash and onions together in a small amount of water until tender. Drain. Mash or process in food processor.

Mix squash together with:

1 cup of mayonnaise
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch®
dressing mix
2 eggs, beaten
12 crackers, crushed
1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese,
grated

Put in greased casserole dish.
Bake about 30 minutes at 325o F.

Add topping:

2 cups cornbread crumbs

Top with cornbread crumbs and drizzle with melted butter. Turn oven up to 400o F. Bake another 10 minutes.

[Zereh]

Saw this today and thought of this thread:

Better-Than-Condensed-Soup White Sauce
makes about the same as one 10-oz. can

3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons unbleached flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk, stock or combination

Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Blend in the flour and salt, cooking until bubbly.

Stir in your choice of milk, stock or a combination of the two, using a wire whisk to prevent lumps. Cook until just smooth and thickened.



Optional flavors and add-ins (replacing various “cream of…” condensed soups):

cheese: add 1/2 cup grated cheese and 1/4 t. dry mustard

tomato: use tomato juice as liquid (instead of milk or stock); add a dash of each: garlic salt, dried onion, basil and oregano.

mushroom: saute 1/4 cup chopped mushrooms and 1 T. finely chopped onion in the butter, before adding the flour.

celery: saute 1/2 cup chopped celery and 1 T. finely chopped onion in the butter, before adding the flour.

chicken: use chicken broth/stock as half the liquid. Add 1/4 t. poultry seasoning or sage, and diced cooked chicken, if desired.

for other varied flavors, try: curry powder, garlic/onion/celery salt, grated nutmeg, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, chopped or blended vegetables, chopped parsley, chopped chives, chopped hard-cooked eggs.

[GrillingFool]

Just a thought, cmarch....
An awful lot of mixes and seasonings that might be hard to get in the Philippines
can be crammed into a flat rate Priority Mail envelope or box.. 4 pounds worth, and sent there for $13.25. :)