So what do you do when you have 4 oz. of cream cheese left after making this? Well, if you are like me, it sits in the refrigerator for quite a while, until I am able to get my act together and find something to do with it. I actually didn’t have to look that far this time. I happened to be looking through the recipes I had piled up in the pantry, and there it was. It was almost fate – for multiple reasons.
My husband was away, and I was making dinner for the girls and I – a play on mac-n-cheese, which I will post soon – as it was quite good. Since my husband is not a big pasta eater, whenever he goes away, that’s on the menu at our house. My girls LOVE their father, and do not like it when he goes away, but knowing they will have pasta for dinner makes it a little more palatable. So, back to the story – the mac-n-cheese was in the oven, and I was wondering what I should make for a vegetable. I opened the vegetable drawer, and the carrots were staring at me – I knew it was the easy way out, but I was tired. So I placed them on the counter, and then decided (because this is how I do things), to clean out the refrigerator and see what I had to get rid of. I saw the big bunch of dill that I had used for the Matzo Ball Soup the other weekend, and the cream cheese I had used for the tomato basil soup. I was just about to close the refrigerator, when I took the buttermilk and looked at the date on the carton – that went on the counter as well. Then it hit me – I knew I had seen a recipe for a healthy ranch dressing in Cooking Light, and I was right – the amazing part was, it used all the ingredients that went on the counter to either use up or get rid of. It was meant to be.
This ranch dip was delicious, so much so that I ate most of it. My younger daughter who will not eat her salad without ranch was a big fan as well, but I hate to say she prefers the bottled version. This was thicker, and more like a dip than a dressing. The fresh garlic really gave it a nice kick, and the fresh dill gave it a wonderful flavor. It gives me such pleasure not to waste food, especially in such a tasty way!!
Ingredients
- 4 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons nonfat buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Combine cream cheese and buttermilk in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended. Stir in remaining ingredients.
For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Creamy Ranch-Style Dip
First Look, Then Cook 
Love this one Dawn. I also love to scrounge around my fridge sometimes and see if I can find creative uses for my odds and ends. I was rather proud of myself earlier in the week. A friend brought a veggie tray to my house for a cocktail party Friday night. There were leftover sugar snap peas, broccoli and tomatoes. I needed a veggie for dinner a few days later, so I decided to just blanch the peas and broccoli, then do a little stir fry with the tomatoes, fresh garlic and some toasted sesame seeds. Perfecto! Isn’t it great when nothing goes to waste?
I’m not a big ranch dip or dressing eater, but Mr. N LOVES anything with ranch. I know he would seriously enjoy the carrots dipped in this. It may just be a great option for his lunches. :)