When was Ranch Dressing invented?

Answer 1

In 1954, Steve and Gayle Henson opened a dude ranch near Santa Barbara, California, and named it "Hidden Valley Ranch". As a side business, they sold to guests a special dressing that Steve had developed in Alaska. The dressing was popular, and they began selling bottles that guests could take home, and later opened a factory to sell packets of ranch seasoning that had to be mixed with mayonnaise and buttermilk (packets that are still available to this day). In 1972 the brand was bought by Clorox for $8 million. Clorox reformulated the dressing several times to try to make it more convenient. The first change was to include buttermilk flavoring in the seasoning so that home chefs only had to add milk rather than buttermilk. In 1983, Clorox developed a non-refrigerated bottled formulation, making it even more popular.

Answer 2

... is delicious!

But seriously, per Wikipedia: "Ranch dressing is a condiment made of buttermilk or sour cream, mayonnaise, minced green onion, garlic powder, and other seasonings mixed into a sauce."

It's very popular as a salad dressing or dipping sauce.

More on its history and uses:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranch_dressing

If you're looking for a recipe, here's a bunch:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Salad/Dressings-and-Vinaigrettes/Ranch/ViewAll.aspx