Copycat Olive Garden Dressing

Olive Garden salad dressing is a favorite in our home.  All three Segal boys L-O-V-E it.  But, at about $5 a bottle, it doesn't come cheap.  I recently found a copycat recipe via Pinterest from Because Barenaked Chef Said So. The original recipe can be found here.  I thought the original recipe was a little too thick so I adapted it just a tad. 

-2 envelops Good Seasons Italian Dressing (I just used the generic Albertson's brand packets)
-1/2 cup olive oil
-3/4 cup white wine vinegar
-1 cup water (original recipe calls for 9 tablespoons water but I thought it was too thick)
-1 teaspoon dried Italian spices (I used basil and oregano)
-1 teaspoon salt
-Freshly ground black pepper to taste
-1 teaspoon sugar
-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
-1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Pour all ingredients into a blender and blend on high until combined, about 30 seconds or so.  I washed out our original Olive Garden dressing bottle and used in for our new copycat dressing.  This recipe makes enough to fill that bottle plus an additional 1-2 cups worth in a Tupperware container. Shake dressing before serving.

The boys know that I made this Olive Garden dressing at home.  I think it takes a little different, but the boys all think it takes the same as the restaurant version and RAVE about it.  The husband has been taking it with him to work all week and kept telling me..."make sure you write down what you did....this stuff is AWESOME!"  I guess it's a keeper.  After a week, the entire container is almost gone.

Onion Soup

My in-laws were recently here for a visit and my husband was thrilled that my MIL made her famous onion soup recipe for us.  It's one of his favorites from when he was young.  I will share her original recipe along with her modifications.

-9 large onions, sliced (she used 4 large)
-3/4 cup oil
-3 quarts beef stock (she used 1 quart beef stock and 2 cans of beef consumme)
-1 bay leaf (she used 3)
-2 tablespoons salt
-1 teaspoon pepper
-3/4 cup port wine (you can use any red wine...I only has cooking marsala in the house so she used that)
-6 slices french bread, toasted (Jan usually uses cocktail sized rye bread and toasts it.  The store here didn't have them so she made the soup with some Texas Toast croutons and it turned out great!)
-3/4 cup grated swiss cheese (She used provolone slices)

Cook onions in oil until brown.  Pour off oil.  Add the beef stock, bay leaves, wine, salt and pepper.  Cook over low heat for 1 1/2 hours.  Pour into oven proof bowls.  Float a piece of toast or about 7-10 croutons in the bowl. Layer cheese over bread/croutons and brown under the broiler for a few moments. 

I can't explain how good this soup is.  The other night, I ate bowl after bowl.  The leftovers are even better heated up the next day!

From the kitchen of Jan Segal.