When I started couponing a lot about three years ago I found out salad dressing is one of those things you can get for cheap or even for free.
I was quickly well stocked and it took me a while to use up my stash. I noticed we were using a bottle of ranch that was *cough* months old and still “good”.
Did I really want to feed my family “dairy” dressings that were shelf stable for months? And were full of ingredients I didn’t recognize.
I stopped getting salad dressing with coupons and started making my own simple vinaigrettes. I love olive oil and different vinegars and selecting herbs to mix in and serve on our salads.
Before you think I’m all fancy, let me tell you the fresh basil plant I used all summer long is now a dusty husk and still in my window sill. My June Cleaver impulses only extend so far.
One dressing I didn’t make too often from scratch was Ranch. It really needs time in the fridge after you make it for the flavors to fully develop, and I usually make the dressing at the last minute.
But Ranch is my husband’s favorite, so I’d like to serve it more often.
When I had an opportunity to review Marzetti’s new line of Simply Dressed salad dressings I was really tempted to try one of their vinaigrettes, like Balsamic, Champagne, or Ginger Sesame.
I decided to try the Ranch dressing to see if it was a happy medium between rarely making my own and depending on a bottle of indeterminate freshness.
The Simply Dressed line is refrigerated, right next to the salads in the grocery store. I got mine at Kroger.
I liked that the ingredients, except for one stabilizer, were all things I could find in my kitchen: “CANOLA OIL, BUTTERMILK, WATER, SALTED EGG YOLK, DISTILLED VINEGAR, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, SUGAR, SEA SALT, GARLIC, ONION, XANTHAN GUM”
We’ve used Marzetti’s Simply Dressed Ranch as a dressing on salad, a dip for carrots and as a dipping sauce for homemade chicken nuggets. I think it had a fresh taste, a good balance of flavors and a nice creamy texture. My kids all liked it. The husband is pleased.
I found a recipe utilizing the Ranch dressing as a drizzle over fresh, steamed green beans. Scatter some bacon bits on that and my kids would lick the plate.
Also, it looks like it would be a good alternative to mayonnaise on a sandwich or a wrap.
What I especially liked about Simply Dressed is that is contains NO preservatives, trans fat, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, or artificial flavors.
Also, all of the flavors except for the Ginger Sesame are gluten-free! Some, like the Strawberry Poppyseed, are egg and dairy free as well.
Now I have an alternative to making everything from scratch or serving an ancient bottle of yummy chemicals.
And I can still use coupons to save money!
What do you usually use on your salads? Check out the whole line of Marzetti’s Simply Dressed and let me know what kind looks best to you.
I was one of the bloggers selected by T. Marzetti Company and Clever Girls Collective to host a Marzetti Simply Dressed review. They provided me with product to test myself and compensation for my time. However, my opinions are entirely my own.

Thank you for this review! I’m too lazy to make my own dressing very often, but I really dislike serving chemicals to my family on what would otherwise be a very healthy dish. I’ll be looking for these at the store today!
Thanks, Melissa. I think this is good stuff.
Strawberry poppyseed? Yum! Marzetti Classic Poppyseed is one of our favorites…so we will have to give the strawberry version a try! Love your new look!
Thanks, Kat! You are my very first to comment after my re-design.
Let me know what you think about the strawberry poppyseed.
It sounds like a good product!
It’s yummy. My husband remarked tonight on how much he liked it.
That’s cool that you have found a way to use salad dressing other than on salads. I need to be more creative with my meals.
I like to marinade with vinaigrette dressing too. Thanks for stopping by!
I am glad to have found you via #commenthour. I enjoy your thoughts on salad dressing ~ I have gotten much more creative in the kitchen lately. I’m going to look for the Marzetti’s. Looks tasty!
I like balsamic vinegar and olive oil on my salads. Simple, healthy and tasty! 🙂
Like you, I prefer eating food made from ingredients I can pronounce!
~Tui (visiting rather belatedly from #commenthour)
The cherry balsamic is wonderful, but the lemon tastes as if it were made with that god-awful lemon juice stuff in the plastic lemon-shaped bottle. AWFUL!!