basilicious.

I don't know about you, but I love basil.  

One of my favorite ways to use basil, is in caprese sandwiches {that's what I call them}.  All I do is layer tomato, mozzarella, sprinkle with basil, and drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper {this is pre drizzle}.

But one of my true guilty pleasures involving basil is this dressing...and it doesn't even call for fresh basil.  I know, classy.

This is not a dressing that you top on a healthy salad {lettuce,carrots and croutons are best}, nor is it healthy. But it's not something I make that often.  And I'm a bit embarrassed to say it's from a chain restaurant back home, not out of some fancy cookbook or a family recipe.  Once you read the ingredients, you'll realize why it's so good and why it's very unhealthy.  It's too delicious not to share...

Ingredients:

3/4 cup oil
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
2 tablespoons crushed dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced
Hot pepper sauce 

Directions:

Whisk together oil and mayonnaise. Add buttermilk, cheese, basil, salt, garlic and hot pepper sauce to taste. Mix thoroughly. Cover and let flavors meld overnight {the joke in our family is that it will never make it over night} in refrigerator.