Creamy Jalapeno Ranch Dip

If you know me in real life, it's no secret that I am obsessed with Chuy's. We went to the one in Louisville last winter, just before Christmas. It was the most delicious thing ever (of course, it helped that I was pregnant and happened to be craving Mexican food three times a day that month day).  We were so excited after several trips back to find out that there were plans to open one locally (in Bowling Green). This meant I could get my fix for the creamy jalapeno ranch dip on a more regular basis.

We went 9 times the first month they were open! 

Patrick casually mentioned to one of his co-workers (who can cook) that I was a bit obsessed with it (I think his words were that I would leave him for a gallon of it...he's probably right!).  Imagine my surprise when he arrived home with all of the ingredients to give it a try. I was excited, but I had low expectations. Not that my husband can't cook. He does 90% of the cooking in our house, and it's always delicious. I just didn't think that it would be as good as Chuy's.  But, Phillip, the guy who gave him the recipe, is known for his cooking abilities, so I knew it would be good. Patrick made it, and to my surprise it was the exact same. I think I ate an entire gallon of it the first week. 

While Chuy's chips are the best, we usually buy the On the Border brand tortillas to go with it. Sometimes I place them in the oven for about a minute (on 175) just to warm them, but I usually just eat them straight out of the bag.  

Here's what you need: 

1/2 a bunch of fresh cliantro
1/2 a jar of tomatillo sauce (*note: Kroger didn't have the brand we normally buy, so we tried this. It wasn't quite as spicy as normal, but it still tasted great. I'll try to post the brand we normally buy the next time I see it).
2 cups buttermilk
1 pt Mayo
1 fresh jalapeno
3 packets of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (NOT the dip. We tried it once and it was no where near the same taste or texture as the real stuff)
Blender

Directions:
Chop the cilantro and jalapeno.
Mix them in a bowl, and add them to a blender.
Pour in the buttermilk, tomatillo sauce, and Mayo and blend until combined.
Pour in the 3 packets of ranch dressing mix and mix for a few minutes on your blender's highest setting.

This is what it will look like before your blend it.  Please ignore the horrible quality of these photos. It was raining, and my kitchen doesn't get much natural light. 

It's best if you chill it for a few hours before eating, but I can't ever wait that long. I usually get a small bowl to enjoy right away. We've tried it with whole butter milk and low-fat and can't taste a difference at all. So, we go for the lower calorie version. I looked it up once, and caloriecounter.com said that there were 135 in 2 tablespoons of the original version.  Going by the nutritional data on the back of what we make, there are about 150 in 1/2 cup.  Not that I've ever been able to eat just 1/2 cup! Ha! Enjoy!