Sauces to 'dress' up any food

Sauces and dressings can add so much flavor to what may seem like ordinary foods. A simple dipping sauce and a special dressing can elevate a snack or salad into an upscale treat with only a few simple ingredients.

Today I have pulled together a few of our favorite sauces and dressings to pass along to you. Give them a try and be creative to come up with a few ways to use some of these flavorful recipes. Enjoy!

Famous Telle Do-All Sauce

My friends, Donna and John Telle of Uniontown, Missouri, make this amazing sauce that they have on hand as a household staple. They use it on "everything" such as spinach salads, sandwiches, dip pizza in it, add to casseroles even before they taste them, serve on taco salad and much, much more.

• 2/3 cup salad oil
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1 small onion, (diced)
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/3 to 2/3 cup brown sugar, to taste

Combine all ingredients together in a jar or container with tight-fitting lid. Stir or shake together until well combined.

Refrigerate and use as desired.

Source: Donna and John Telle, Uniontown, Missouri

Cindy's Good White Dressing

This dressing is good on coleslaw, a salad of greens, raw cauliflower salad with bacon and green peas, or any mixed greens salad. Be creative with add-ins and fun ingredients.

• 1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip salad dressing
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 lids light salad oil, optional
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Garlic powder, Dash, optional

Mix all ingredients together until well combined.

This is good on a mixture of lettuce greens, raw cauliflower florets, crisp fried bacon pieces, chopped hard boiled eggs, frozen peas and mushrooms, if desired.

Refrigerate any leftover dressing.

Source: My cousin, Cindy Dude, Argyle, Texas

Momma's Chocolate Sauce

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 large can evaporated milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups white sugar
• 8 to 10 tablespoons cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Melt butter and milk in a large saucepan over low to medium heat. Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients.

Slowly add the dry mixture to the saucepan while stirring with a large whisk. Make sure to stir constantly to remove lumps. Stir all ingredients to a slow boil then take off the heat. Let sauce cool.

You can transfer to an airtight jar or container when cooled.

To reheat, the best method is using a double boiler, but you can also just pour the desired amount into a saucepan and heat.

Serve over ice cream, pies, or fruit or as desired.

Source: Bill and Betsy Pickens, Lexington, Kentucky.

Missouri BBQ Basting Sauce

For as long as I have been on earth, this has been the staple chicken basting sauce for our family and extended family. As we gathered for family reunions, my Uncle Bill would be basting dozens of chicken over a homemade BBQ pit and that is where I learned to love this basting sauce. I salivate as I relive memories of family reunions.

This is enough basting sauce for five chickens. Reduce recipe as needed.

• 2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 pound butter
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• Halve or quarter chickens.

Dip in basting sauce and place on grill. Turn chicken about every 10 minutes and baste with a small mop-style BBQ basting mop. Continue this for approximately one hour or until almost done.

Finish chickens the last 15 minutes by adding your favorite BBQ sauce to the remaining basting sauce and brushing on the chickens.

Allow to get lightly brown and caramelize the finishing sauce mixture.

Source: My late uncle and aunt, Bill and Howelene Watterson, St. Louis

Homemade French Dressing

• 2 cups oil
• 1 cup vinegar
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a 1/2-gallon container.

Store tightly covered in refrigerator. Shake well before each use.

The longer it sets the better it is. Keeps well for two to three months.

Recipe may be reduced by half or more to your personal use needs.

Source: My sister, Pat Baldwin, McClure, Illinois

Warm Spinach Salad Dressing

• 1/2 package dry ranch style dressing mix
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon yellow salad mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 1 cup oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped

This dressing is delicious served over a big bowl of fresh baby spinach, hard boiled egg slices, crisp fried bacon, sunflower seeds, cashews, and Parmesan shards. Add mushrooms, dried cranberries or other ingredients as desired.

Combine all dressing ingredients together in a saucepan. Heat on low to medium heat until sugar is dissolved and all ingredients are well combined.

Allow to cool to be very warm, but not hot.

Pour just enough very warm dressing over the salad mixture to sufficiently moisten but now over dress he salad.

Source: My cousins, Dr. Chris and Kate Poirot, Litchfield, Illinois

Lemon Sauce

Tangy and sweet! This sauce is excellent served over ice cream, cake, bread pudding or pancakes.

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons butter

Add sugar and cornstarch to a saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add water and stir to combine. Cook until mixture starts to boil and then boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice and butter. Let cool 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

Note: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Source: www.simplystacie.net/2018/08/lemon-sauce/

Awesome Sauce

This Awesome Sauce recipe is a totally addicting dipping sauce for so many different foods! This easy sauce is great on steak, chicken, fish and sandwiches.

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
• 2 tablespoon minced chives
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional but won't make the sauce too spicy)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together well.

Cover and refrigerate for an hour to let the flavors blend if you can wait.

Use Awesome Sauce on everything you can think of.

Source: www.mantitlement.com/awesome-sauce/

Comeback Sauce

Spicier than ranch dressing, creamier than barbecue sauce, and more versatile than buffalo sauce, every Southerner relies on the comeback sauce to keep guests returning to their buffet line and asking to be invited back.

This sauce is good on sandwiches, as a dipping sauce for vegetables or meat or anyway you desire.

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup chili sauce or Siracha
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Stir together mayonnaise, chili sauce, ketchup, lemon juice, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, and pepper. Cover and chill 30 minutes before serving. Refrigerate 1 week.

Source: www.southernliving.com/recipes/comeback-sauce

Alabama White BBQ Sauce

Alabama White BBQ Sauce is a tangy, creamy twist on traditional barbecue sauce recipes. It's delicious on grilled chicken, pulled pork, fish, burgers, and lots more! This recipe is perfect for 4 large chicken breasts, but you may want to double the recipe if you are grilling for a crowd.

• 1 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
• 2 teaspoons cream style horseradish
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

In a medium bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth. Transfer to a jar with a tight lid and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 week. Brush on chicken while grilling, or use with fish or other meat, or as a salad dressing or dip for fries.

Source: www.houseofnasheats.com/alabama-white-bbq-sauce/

Chicken Fingers Dipping Sauce

This sauce is really good with chicken and a great alternative to traditional BBQ sauce. Try the full teaspoon of black pepper. This is also great on a chicken sandwich.

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

Whisk mayonnaise, ketchup, and garlic powder together in a bowl; add Worcestershire sauce to the mayonnaise mixture and whisk until smooth.

Sprinkle enough black pepper over the surface of the mayonnaise mixture to cover; stir to incorporate. Repeat sprinkling and stirring of black pepper.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the seasonings have blended into the sauce, at least 2 hours. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Source: www.allrecipes.com/recipe/236984/zaxbys-chicken-fingers-dipping-sauce/

Cranberry Dipping Sauce

This cranberry dipping sauce is delicious served with sausage balls, chicken nuggets, dipping pretzels, cheese sticks, on sandwiches or any way you can imagine.

• 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce (or 1 1/2 cups leftover cranberry sauce)
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• Pinch of Kosher salt

Combine cranberry sauce, orange juice and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Stir until thinned out a bit and completely combined.

Transfer to a serving dish.

Source: www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/2015/11/sausage-and-stuffing-balls-with.html

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.