Kraft 'Miracle' French salad dressing

[turquoisedude]

I found an old photo of a family barbecue circa the early 70s and a bottle of Kraft 'Miracle' French dressing is on the table. 

 

Does anyone else remember that particular variety?   I remember that it vanished off of Canadian store shelves in the mid-80s...

 

It was basically a flavoured oil and vinegar style dressing, probably reddened with the addition of plenty of paprika.   It was mild and seemed to be the only salad dressing that was ever served when I was a brat.   After my mother passed away, my father complained about the thicker French dressing that Kraft replaced the 'Miracle' dressing with, so I started making my own.   He complained less and I still make most of my own dressings, but dang, I wonder why the 'Miracle' brand got pulled....

 

[danemodsandy]

Paul:

" I wonder why the 'Miracle' brand got pulled...."

Because Kraft has no regard whatsoever for you as an individual - it's all about numbers with them. Whatever is least costly to manufacture and sells the most stays on the shelves - for the moment. When sales soften, the item is gone, and never mind how much some consumers might miss a favorite product.

If you want to get a handle on just how much Kraft cares about those whose purchases fund the corporation, Google "kraft cadbury factory" sometime. When Kraft bought the U.K. Cadbury corporation, they assured Britons that the Cadbury factory in Somerdale would remain open, with few changes.

Pretty much the second the deal was done, they closed the factory, changed formulas and moved most production to Poland. The British government held hearings on the matter, and attempted to compel Kraft CEO Irene Rosenfeld to appear, so that she might answer questions about why the corporation had not kept its word. She refused.

Spend your money where you like, but know that Kraft isn't in business to please you.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Would like your recipe please.

I do remember, and it was much better than the creamy type they have now. The current Kraft is more mayonnaise based and no matter what you do to hide it I can still taste Mayonnaise. Hate Mayonnaise.

I prefer Ott's, but would like to have your recipe where you make your own.

Many moon ago when I was working in a restaurant we made our own that reminded me of Ott's where we used Campbell's tomato soup, oil, horseradish, I just can't remember the rest or what ratios.

 

[turquoisedude]

Sandy - I know exactly what you mean about Kraft and Cadbury... I have strong ties to the UK (Chris' family all still live there) and remember the national outrage about the Cadbury acquisition and change of formulas and production.   It is so sad to hear the same thing over and over again, but you are so right - companies don't give a tinker's cuss about the customer; it's all about the bottom line and how to make the stakeholders rich....   Sigh!!

 

And for iheartmaytag,  here's my 'basic' French dressing that I make most often:

 

2 tablespoons olive oil (or use 1 tbsp. olive oil plus 1 tbsp. oil of your choice)

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon paprika (a good sweet Hungarian variety, if you can find it, is wonderful!)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

dash salt

 

- Combine ingredients in a small jar and shake well to combine.    Recipe makes enough for 2 salads and can be doubled or tripled successfully.

 

[norgeway]

Its just like..

The barbecue sauce put out by Garner foods under the name Texas Pete, this was a institutional product and many restaurants here used it, there never has been a bbq sauce like it, and after over 60 years they dropped it, my favorite bbq place as a kid used it to make there sauce with, you took a gallon of it and added regular Texas Pete hot sause and water, it was wonderful.It seems if something is really good, they drop it, like Aunt Jemima pancake mix, back when it had 4 flours in it, the stuff sold today as original is a joke!

 

[danemodsandy]

Harley: Tomato Soup "French" Dressing

Harley:

The Campbell's Soup people have been printing that tomato soup-based "French" dressing recipe for a very long time; I've seen it in a 1930's issue of American Home, I think it was. Your mom's dressing sounds like it was very probably a variation of it.

So that you can experiment, here is the recipe, from my trusty copy of Ceil Dyer's Best Recipes From the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans and Jars:

TOMATO FRENCH DRESSING

One 10-3/4-ounce can Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup
1/2 cup salad oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Place all ingredients in a covered jar and shake until completely blended (1930's method), or whirl up in a blender or food processor (new method).

And if anyone doesn't have Ceil Dyer's book, get it! It has all the favorite "product" recipes we lose track of when we can't find our clipping file.

P.S.: Try stirring about half a cup of crumbled bleu cheese into the finished dressing and letting it sit overnight in the fridge before serving, sometime. M-m-m good - not that I made that phrase up, you understand! ;-)

 

[danemodsandy]

For Paul: Send In the Clones

Paul:

There is a consumer-created "clone" recipe for Kraft Miracle French, I have found. I have not tested it, so I cannot vouch for its resemblance to the Kraft product, but hey, it's worth a shot, right? And it's said to be "spot on the money."

French Dressing Mix

1 c. sugar
4 t. paprika
2 T. dry mustard
2 t. salt
1/2 t. onion powder

Measure all ingredients into a Ziploc bag; shake well. (transfer to vacuum seal bag and store up to a year, if desired.)

To Use:
Combine 1/4 mix with:
3/4 c. vegetable or canola oil
6 T. catsup
1/4 c. white vinegar

Combine in blender and whip for 40 seconds, or until well blended. Chill.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Sandy

Thank You
I have looked for it I was sure it was a Campbell's recipe of some variation. We always used a touch of horseradish and garlic, but the rest sound like it.
thanks again.

 

[turquoisedude]

Thank you for the recipe Sandy!  I've used a few of these 'clone' recipes (the KFC Creamy Coleslaw recipe is 'right on the money!) so  I'm anxious to try this one out.   Now, should one use a 60s or 70s era blender to make this?  LOL

 

[danemodsandy]

Paul and Harley:

I'm glad I was able to find recipes for you both!

Do me a favor, will you, Paul? Would you let me know how close this comes?

Thanks!

 

[turquoisedude]

For sure, Sandy! I am going to be 'test-driving' this recipe over the weekend and I promise to document the results. Thank you again for sharing this and your email about the Kraft bottles of the era. I remember the Kraft bottles from the early and mid 70s most - they had a triangular form with a long neck and a 'pebbled' exterior (probably to help one keep a firm grip in the bottle in case some of the oily contents dribbled down the bottle).

 

[danemodsandy]

Looking Forward to It

I hope this turns out to be The Right Stuff. It's always wonderful on those rare occasions when a lost "taste memory" gets recaptured.

I remember many years ago in the '70s, when I lived in Chattanooga, TN on a job transfer, there was an S & W cafeteria that had baked spaghetti that was to die for.

Well, S & W is gone, so far as I know, and Chattanooga is a long way in the past for me, and I thought I would never taste that noodly goodness again.

Until one day, a friend who'd heard me rhapsodize about the stuff sent me a recipe she'd found online, urging me to try it.

BINGO! Spot on the money, as in That's It. Precisely. Down to the crispy edges I loved so much.

I was - and am - in Heaven. On demand, any time I please. Nice when that happens.

Now, if someone could only make a real facsimile of Dromedary Date Nut Bread in the can. I've tried everything out there, and some are closer than others, but none are It.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I remember old Kraft dressing bottles that sort of had a bulge at the top, then a more slender central portion of the bottle then it widened again at the foot. I always liked Catalina Dressing, but loved to taste the different varities like that horrible orange "French" dressing, the Italian and some others. I loved Lawry's seasoned salt which I first tasted in a restaurant and asked mom to buy for our table.

 

[franksdad]

I loved Lawry's seasoned salt

Same here!  My favorite use for Lawry's is on chicken.   Thoroughly coat bone in and skin on chicken pieces in Lawry's seasoned salt.  Place in baking dish.  Add a few pats of butter on top of each breast.  Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.  Place in preheated 400 degree oven for one hour.  At the end of the hour turn the heat off  and leave pan in the oven at least 30 minutes or until you are ready to serve (I usually prepare my salads and tea during this time).  Chicken is wonderful and completely falls off the bones! 

 

[tomturbomatic]

I remember S&W cafeterias and Morrison's and Davis Brothers and somewhere in Alabama there was an S&G cafeteria. Most of those chains had standardized recipes so no matter what city you were in, the food had the same flavor. There was a terrible cafeteria in the Peachtree-Baker Building in Atlanta by the name of S&S. It started out good, but declined to the point where we said it should be SOS. The smashed potatoes got to where they were almost as runny as the gravy. The server couldn't even make a depression in them for the gravy; it just had to hitch a ride on top and hope not to fall overboard as the potatoes sloshed back and forth in the tiny bowl.

 

[firedome]

OK, so if we're recreating tastes of our childhood...

would someone please come up with the orange-pink Russian dressing type of sauce that Gino's Drive-ins (a Mid-Atlantic fast food chain started by Gino Marchetti of the Colts and sold off to Roy Rodger's in the late '80s) used on their "Gino Giant" clone of a Big Mac... it came wrapped in clear cellophane, and it was THE BEST fast food burger evvvverrr! not that that's the world's highest standard LOL!

But apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so, there's been speculation on the web on some blogs as to who made this yummy sauce and how... those Giants were sooo gooood!

Anyone else remember Gino's? Cue: "Everybody goes to Gino's, cause Gino's is the place to go! - (sung to a jaunty jingle).

 

[danemodsandy]

Tom:

I remember that S & S very well. The decor was straight out of 1955 (two decades later); we used to say it was where green vinyl went to die.

 

[norgeway]

S and W!

Was a childhood favorite, anytime we went to Asheville or Charlotte, thats where we usually ate, the best egg custard on the planet, and I have that recipe and everytime I make it its just like being a child all over!

 

[foraloysius]

Egg custard

Hans,

I think we need that recipe! ;-)