Jackson House Dressing

A creamy, slightly sweet and punchy all-purpose salad dressing. This goes on everything, comes together quickly in a food processor, and will keep for weeks in the fridge!

I didn't know what to call this dressing when I first started making it, but I made it so much (because I love it!) that it just ended up being our "house dressing".

Having your own house dressing is a fun and kind of extra thing to do and I highly recommend it!

This dressing is sweet, creamy, with a good bit of kick from the vinegar, mustard, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. It's not spicy per se, but it does have a little heat to it.

I think of it as being part creamy Italian, part vinaigrette.

It's good on any green salad or coleslaw, even works as a dip, and will keep for weeks in the fridge!

House Dressing Ingredients

You probably already have everything you need to make this! Here’s what’s in it:

• Garlic - 2 medium or 1 large clove(s). Fresh garlic puréed into a dressing gets intense, so don’t overdo it!
• Mustard - I almost always use dried mustard here, but if I’m out, I’ll sub in Dijon. Either work, I think the dried mustard is slightly better though.
• White wine vinegar - If I had to name the *key* ingredient here, it might be the white wine vinegar. It’s fresh and crisp and tangy.
• Water - You’ll add a bit of water here to get the consistency just right.
• Sugar - To add the perfect sweetness.
• Salt + pepper - Of course!
• Crushed red pepper flakes - There’s not much in here, but it makes a huge flavor difference!
• Vegetable oil - This is the body of the dressing. You can substitute another neutral oil if you prefer.

How to make this house dressing

Add the sugar, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to a food processor and pulse until well combined and garlic is in tiny pieces. Scrape down the sides of the food processor as needed while you do this!

(You will definitely need a food processor to get this silky smooth and creamy! This food processor is the one I have and love.)

Add the vinegar and water and process again.

Turn the food processor on and slowly pour in the oil. It will take about 1 full minute to incorporate it all.

Taste and adjust seasonings as needed - keep in mind the flavor will intensify as it sits!

Some salad ideas

Really, you can put this on ANY green salad. It’s so amazing to have some in your fridge and you can toss together a fancy-feeling salad with minimal effort.

My favorite combination with this is greens, red onion, bacon, and blue cheese.

Also really good on a chopped Italian-style salad with chopped lettuce, tomato, pepperoni, red onion, and banana pepper.

You can’t go wrong!

Tips

• You can use this dressing as soon as it’s made, but it’s best if it’s sat for at least a few hours. Even better - overnight. The flavors intensify as it sits.
• The dressing will begin to separate after a few days in the fridge. If this happens, just give the container a quick shake before using to reincorporate.
• You can make multiples of this recipe, but I’ve not had success reducing it - there’s not enough volume for the food processor to be effective. So you can up the amount, but I don’t recommend reducing it!

Oh, and If you’re on a salad kick and into making your own dressings, try this Caesar dressing.