Literally awesomesauce.
It’s literally no judgement if, while ordering chicken nuggets, you ask for an extra sauce pack to take home and stash in that stash of yours. Been there, totally done that.
But, grrrrl (or guyyyy): You don’t need those storebought sauces. No way.
Because homemade sauces are so easy. And they are eighty trillion times tastier when made fresh.
I know, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking “BUT I AM A MODERN HUMAN! I OWN A BED AND MICROWAVE! I’M LAUNCHING FIVE LUCRATIVE HOBBIES ON TOP OF MY TWO PART-TIME JOBS! I DON’T HAVE TIME TO MAKE MY OWN SAUCES.”
But, trust. Because you do. And you do. And you will be so glad that you did.
Ready? Hold my hand and we shall jump into a world full of flavor and saucy wonderment. These five easy dipping sauces are too easy, and far too delicious to skip out on. Give ‘em a try and feed your people lovely homemade things. No more hoarding sauce packets for you.
Theory: Everyone under the age of 46 ½ actually believes ranch dressing has to come out of a bottle or packet.
But long before the world of grocery store options, humans made homemade ranch with creamy, delicious ingredients. None of that bottled stuff. (Which, BTW, doesn’t even have real cream. Because real cream isn’t shelf stable.) So, brace yourself. This 5-ingredient version is ‘bout to blow your mind.
Real cream, lemony yogurt, fresh dill, apple cider vinegar (you know, the stuff your grandma is always telling you to spoon daily) and shallot. That’s it. Five easy ingredients, one blender, less than 5 minutes and you’ve got homemade ranch dressing.
Buffalo sauce is makeable? Whaaaa?
Yes. You guys. I wondered the same thing. Isn’t Buffalo sauce only buyable in a big glass bottle, stuffed in there by some cowboy named Bison Hank? (Or, you know. Other names like that.)
No. In truth, Buffalo sauce is a simple combo of hot sauce, butter, vinegar and—well, just follow along with our homemade version. My trick is to use enchilada sauce instead of hot sauce, so you can nab a can and use it all. So much more convenient than hunting down hot sauce and having to keep a big ol’ bottle of leftovers in your fridge, since you don’t need 95 ounces to make a batch of Buffalo.
Sweet chili anything is basically a win. Though there are humans (hand bashfully raised) who thought the only way to get this sauce in your life was to order spring rolls with sweet chili dipping sauce on the side, it turns out to be shockingly simple to make at home.
And once you have a big batch of it, you can use it to make homemade sweet and sour chicken, homemade eggroll dipping sauce, homemade chicken tender dipping perfection and, of course, enough sauce to slather your spring rolls for days.
Don’t have salsa or taco sauce in the haus? A-okay, no problem. Because you can actually make it yourself with canned tomatoes, taco seasoning and a few other pantry staples.
What’s the flavor? Oh, I know you’re thinking “homemade sauce can’t possibly taste as good as Tequila Joe’s or Cactus Bob’s or [whatever the name of the best Mexican restaurant in your town happens to be].” But, I’m sitting here smiling because…the homemade stuff is good. It’s really good. Nix the storebought stuff and give this super simple taco sauce hack a tryyyyy.
You already feel, as I do, that whoever it was that first thought of mixing together honey and mustard should go down in the annals of history with Hamilton and Lin-Manuel Miranda. (Shameless plug for my musical obsession.)
But, add a little beer to that combo, and you’ve got yourself a zingy sauce that’s not only perfect for dipping, it’s also awesome for marinating, glazing and grilling. Awesomesauce, indeed.
Brooke blogs at Cheeky Kitchen where she shares crazy simple, healthy family recipes. She joined Tablespoon to share some of her best, so keep an eye on Brooke's profile to see what she cooks up next!