Ranch style pizza?

Snookums is puzzled by the Wikipedia article on “pizza”, specifically this bit:

“In Indiana, they recently introduced the ‘ranch style’ variety which has had fantastic success with its inhabitants, especially amongst the South. The ranch is dipped or drizzled on pepperoni pizza.”

Who in the what now? I can easily believe that there are people who put ranch dressing on everything. (Hello, Kelly McMahon!) But this makes it sound like some sort of official thing that’s happening everywhere. Is this for real? Spill it, Hoosiers.

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  1. Don’t know about Indiana but in Oklahoma most big pizza places (Mazzio’s, Pizza Hut, Dominos, etc.) give out Ranch as a dipping sauce when you order. It’s good for the crust.

  2. Oh my, that sounds amazing. When I go to my friend’s’ house, who’s mother is american, I always ask for ranch and put it on everything, as is my desire, just in case Mummy Wilson is ever feeling homesick, I can bring my fake americanness over!

  3. Intriguing. Back when I left Indiana, the big thing was Papa John’s magic garlic butter dipping sauce. I was also partial to his spicy cheese, especially for breadsticks. But they never had ranch…

  4. It is, sadly, true. Pizza Hut supplies you with ranch dipping sauce for certain kinds of their pizza. There is one pizza in particular that is cut into strips, like bread sticks, that you’re supposed to dip into marinara, butter garlic, or ranch sauce.

    Personally? I like ranch dressing much as the next Hoosier (especially GFS’s version), but I think it’s disgusting. Let’s dip a big, greasy, fatty pizza into a big glob of creamy fatty dressing. Blech.

  5. I dip breadsticks into marinara sauce, then blue cheese (ranch will do in a pinch), but I can’t imagine dipping pizza itself!

  6. Y’all are missing out if you haven’t eaten ranch on pizza, because it’s damn good. Sharp and spiky and savory, it totally balances out any mellowness from the mozzarella and enhances any spices in the sauce itself. Seriously, give it a go.

    Not sure about where it started, geographically, but I know that I have been bonding with my students in Alabama over our mutual appreciation of ranch on pizza for years now.

    (Even better–try a “pizza salad.” Tim and I put lettuce/salad fixins on a slice of pizza, drench it all in ranch, and eat it with a knife and fork. Divine!)

  7. I think I was first introduced to pizza with ranch in college in North Carolina. I left my ranch dressing days behind, however, when I moved to the NW. Now that I live in the Emerald City I think pesto is the perfect pizza topping.

  8. What is ‘ranch’ dressing? I have seen it on menus in the US, but I’ve never ordered it. Does it have grass in it? or bullsh*t? 🙂

  9. Heh. I was waiting for somebody to ask that. 🙂 You can get it here, M-H. Coles has the Paul Newman ranch salad dressing. You can see its ingredients and origins here. (The “Ranch” comes from Hidden Vallen Ranch, the people who invented it.) My favorite quote from that article: “Its popularity likely stems from the fact that it is easy way to add extra fat to a dish.” Heh.

  10. Of course, I did google. Sounds quite nice, but way too rich for me (and for most humans!). I found some lowfat versions that didn’t look too bad (based on tofu). I like tangy stuff, so I might give that a try sometime. But I do love really good eggy mayo… a little dab of The Real Thing. Can’t stand the low-fat version – why do they have to add sugar to low-fat food???

  11. To make up for the lack of flavor. It’s shocking how much sugar is in some of the low-fat yogurts.

  12. If I’m not mistaken, Papa John’s is currently promoting a Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza that actually uses Ranch instead of the traditional tomato-based pizza sauce. I’ve yet to try it, and have no desire too. I use ranch for salads and fries only! 🙂

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