Dressings, dips and sauces define cuisines. Traditionally produced from local ingredients, such accompaniments help turn plain food into interesting and satisfying fare. Dairy plays a significant role in salads, appetizers and even entrées.

Dairy products from the United States can help chefs keep up with trends and introduce innovative dressing, dip and sauce concepts that meet changing consumer demand. Learn more about U.S. dairy products by browsing the Product Section.

Dressings, dips and sauces trends

Ranch and blue cheese dressings remain mainstay salad offerings, yet are also increasingly found paired with menu items that span appetizers and main dishes. Meanwhile, the parmesan cheese-topped Caesar salad is a new favorite on salad menus across all U.S. restaurant segments. A resurgence in hot cheese dip popularity-particularly fondue, spinach dip and artichoke dip classics-has led to a wide variety of offerings on menus of all top ten U.S. casual theme chain restaurants.  

Dressing up

The Caesar salad-invented in Tijuana, Mexico, by Italian restaurateur Caesar Cardini in the mid-1920's as a way to use leftover Romaine lettuce-is one of the most recognizable and popular salads in the world. Many versions of the classic now exist, but parmesan cheese remains a critical ingredient. Once found only in upscale eateries, the Caesar salad is currently found on menus from fast food to fine dining.   Ranch and blue cheese dressings have moved beyond salads and into a vast array of menu items across all restaurant profiles. The dressings accompany items from wings and pizza to French fries and burgers, and even more upscale entrées. Spicy versions of ranch are newly popular as menus provide a twist to the creamy buttermilk, sour cream, and sometimes even yogurt-based, favorite.  

Cheese dips "hot" again

In food, as in fashion, trends are cyclical: Everything comes back around eventually. One of the hottest trends of the 1970s is back and bigger than ever with new flavor additions. Cream cheese, sour cream and parmesan-based dips like spinach and artichoke now also feature cheeses like fontina, pepper jack and sharp cheddar. The rise in the popularity of hot dips mirrors that of other dairy-based comfort dishes like macaroni and cheese.