Hidden Valley Releasing Seven New Flavors of Ranch

Possibly Iowa’s finest delicacy, ranch, is being improved upon. Don’t worry, the OG ranch recipe is not changing, but Hidden Valley, the company that makes a lot of ranch, is adding seven new flavors to their lineup. But is it really possible to improve something that is already near perfect? For 70 years, since Hidden Valley ranch was invented, it has become America’s favorite dipping sauce, ubiquitous for dipping everything from baby carrots to Cinnamon Toast Crunch(yes, this unfortunately happens), it has become one of the most popular recipes, so much so that pizza parlors are almost obligated to carry it.

Given Hidden Valley’s history, it may seem like the ranch recipe has been exhausted, but Hidden Valley thinks differently. This spring, not one, nor two, but seven new flavors of ranch are being released into stores, these flavors include, Garlic, Nashville Hot, Creamy Jalapeño, Spicy Hot Honey, Green Goddess and Parmesan, now, I know what you’re thinking, this is only six. These new flavors are supposed to hit the shelves of Walmart and Kroger in late March and early April, they will be sold in 20oz bottles for a respectable $5.99 each.

The seventh flavor comes as a partnership with Cheez-It, who will be releasing a new flavor aptly named  “Cheezy Ranch.”

How are we supposed to figure out which ranch is going to be best? Truthfully, there are no losers when it comes to ranch, its all good, albeit, some flavors will be a little more successful than others. Now, I have not tried these new flavors, but I am going to rank them based off of what I think will be best.

Coming in at the seven spot, I have to give it to Green Goddess, I am not exactly sure what this flavor is, but all I can find about it is that it is a ranch for those who enjoy pesto and basil. This ranch seems like it would probably be the best option for a salad, over any other ranch. It also seems like it would be good for grilled salmon, although, I have only had it once.

Now, the sixth spot starts to get tough, because I think spots three through six could all be interchanged, so now at a tough six, comes Spicy Hot Honey Ranch. This sounds very good, but would not be my go-to, although it could be if the honey note is faint, and the spice isn’t incredibly strong. This seems like it would be good on fries, but that can be said about most ranch flavors. Where I think it could really stand out is on a burger, mixed with ketchup or mustard. With that being said, I am not a huge fan of honey, and that is why Spicy Hot Honey Ranch landed the sixth spot.

Sizzlin’ Nashville Hot Ranch finishes at the fifth spot. Hidden Valley has this flavor listed as the hottest of their new bunch, with it being the hottest, its versatility is likely the worst. In an review written by the Today Show, they said that the ranch has a chili powder flavor and less of the ranch flavor. They also compared the spice level to that of a cayenne pepper, which is about 40,000 scoville heat units, that falls on the lower to mid-range of all peppers; it is significantly hotter than a jalapeño. This ranch might work on a burger, but would shine in nachos.

Ranking at the disappointing fourth spot, is the collaboration ranch between Hidden Valley and Cheez-It with their new Cheezy Ranch. This ranch may end up being very popular, but I am not a big fan of cheese. The Today Show wrote that the ranch starts off with a very cheddar-y flavor but is quickly overtaken by the ranch flavors. I do see many uses for this flavor like, baked potatoes, nachos, and fries. This ranch would be great at a cookout too, as it would be a safe option for burgers and other meaty foods.

The first through third spots were very hard to choose, but I have to award Creamy Jalapeño Ranch the third spot. In Jalapeño flavored dressings, the Jalapeño flavor typically takes over and none of the flavors from the actual dressing get to shine. This flavor while spicy, ranks ahead of Sizzlin’ Nashville Hot Ranch because it is not as spicy, and I do not enjoy super spicy foods all the time. This ranch should excel in just about everything from salad, to fries, and pizza. But what I am most excited to try it on is tacos.

At a deserving second spot is Parmesan Ranch. I am not the biggest parmesan fan, but I think this will be very good and enjoyed by just about everyone. The ranch is stated to have less of an anchovy flavor, which is what is typically in parmesan flavor things, instead, this ranch is straight parm all the way. With it being strictly parm, it may become overpowering on some dishes, so you may need to be careful not to slather it on everything. I think this would be a great candidate for chicken sandwiches, and just chicken in general, it would also work well as a vegetable dip, but where I can see most people using this is on pizza.

At the number one spot, with the least creative name is Garlic Ranch. This new flavor from Hidden Valley will likely be the most popular out of any of the new flavors as it is easily the most versatile. I would like to think that this ranch is going to be closest to the standard but also legendary ranch flavor. The Today Show described the ranch as having the perfect amount of buttery-ness and garlic flavor. I think that this flavor has endless uses, from types of salads, to meats. But I am most excited to slap this on a big and greasy slice of pepperoni pizza from Casey’s.

Over the last 70 years, ranch has consistently proven to be a go-to condiment for many people, and now that people have discovered that the company behind it is releasing seven new flavors, they are eagerly waiting for it to hit their local markets shelves. My rankings are backed by entirely my own opinions; I have not tried any of the new flavors as they are not yet on shelves.