Ranch Chopped Salad

Want to know a secret?

Come closer. Closer. Closer. That's close enough. 

I often make ranch dressing with the store-bought packets. Sometimes you just can't beat convenience, okay?

But I'll be the first one to admit that homemade ranch is is always better. The creamy buttermilk, the mayo, the sour cream, the fresh herbs—it's just plain dreamy. And it's especially divine on a cool, crisp, chopped salad like this one. In addition to ranch, this salad is loaded with crispy bacon, tomato, green onion, and cheddar cheese. It's scrumptious with a steak dinner or grilled chicken or by itself for a nice cold lunch. 

Why is ranch chopped salad so good?

The thing that makes chopped salads so delicious is that every bite is as good as the last. Because you chop up the ingredients into little pieces, every single bite contains lettuce, cheese, bacon, and tomato, all coated in creamy ranch. There's no giant, poorly dressed pieces of lettuce to tackle in this salad—you get to enjoy all the delicious flavors at once!

Can you use bottled ranch for ranch chopped salad?

Sure, but just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Bottled ranch tends to fall flat in flavor, and in a salad where the dressing really matters, you want the best of the best. This homemade dressing is worth the effort: it isn't difficult or complicated and it's made with just six ingredients (plus, salt and pepper), a few of which you probably already own.