Busy Bea Knits

Shortly after Kurt and I got married, I purchased the Betty Crocker Cookbook, Bridal Edition. One day in 2004 I was called in for Jury Duty (before I started knitting) and decided to bring the cookbook along with me as reading material to really become familiar with the different sections and to tag recipes I'd want to use regularly.It's a fantastic reference book and filled with excellent recipes. One of my favorite dressing recipes in this cookbook is the buttermilk dressing (page 434). I was disappointed with buttermilk dressings at many restaurants that had hints of vinegar or that had dill instead of parsley; I knew it could be skillfully executed with a bit of effort (read: months of trial and error). After about six months of "effort" my version of Betty Crocker's buttermilk dressing is a weekly Go-To-Recipe in our home. I really appreciate this recipe for it's balanced flavors, so I kept the proportions the same. However, I switched fresh garlic for garlic powder because I don't want it to overwhelm the other flavors, especially if it's going to sit in my frig for more than a day. I also use fresh chopped parsley instead of dried parsley, and use equal amounts of sour cream and mayonnaise instead of just straight mayonnaise. Since 1 1/4 cups just doesn't last long enough in our home, I quadruple the recipe. Enjoy.


Bea's Buttermilk Dressing

2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. Best Foods mayonnaise
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley (I like parsley)
4 tsp. dried minced onion
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked pepper

Mix sour cream and mayonnaise with dry ingredients. Then stir in buttermilk. Chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving. Yields 5 cups of dressing.

This will thicken as it chills so I stir in a bit of regular milk just before serving it over salad.