Whether you’re making a dip or seasoning a Mississippi Pot Roast, a packet of ranch seasoning mix always seems to bring a lot of extra flavor to the party. It’s the type of quick fix you can put on almost anything to make it taste better – potatoes, pasta salad, roasted veggies… the options are endless! And when you make your own mix, you can keep a little jar on hand so you can sprinkle it on whatever you see fit whenever you want. (Or make fresh dips and dressing whenever you might need it.) A DIY mix is so easy and economical that everyone should keep a batch in their pantry!

You can buy ranch seasoning packets, sure, but at almost two dollars a pop it can add up fast if it’s something you like to use a lot in your own kitchen. And why wouldn’t you? It’s so versatile and adds so much flavor wherever you use it. Making your own is really just a matter of mixing together a few simple spices and this particular mixture tastes just like the storebought packet you might be used to.

The main component is buttermilk powder, which you can usually find near the powdered milk in your grocery store. The other ingredients are ones you are likely to already have on hand – dried parsley, dried chives, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill, and salt and pepper. All you have to do is stir those together and store them in a jar. That takes what, two minutes?

You can use the mix as is as a seasoning for meat or potatoes or whatever you can dream up, but you can also use it to make dressing or dip. For ranch dressing, just mix three tablespoons of the mix with one cup of milk (or buttermilk) and one cup of mayonnaise. To make dip, just mix the same amount of mix with a cup of sour cream and two tablespoons of milk or buttermilk. So easy! And so yummy.