Stop Overspending On Olive Garden Dressing: Get A Copycat At Walmart For Less

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If you ask people about Olive Garden, chances are that you'll encounter some who rave about Olive Garden appetizers (which we taste tested and ranked), and some who are big fans of a favorite salad dressing that can be ordered with the Never-Ending Soup, Salad, & Breadsticks deal. Luckily, you can enjoy your favorite Olive Garden dressing flavor at home, as the restaurant chain sells bottled dressings at the grocery store. However, for thrifty shoppers, there is a less expensive, comparable version made by Walmart you might want to check out.

One Olive Garden dressing flavor in particular, Signature Italian Salad Dressing, is a hit among many and is often gushed about on social media. In Chowhound's taste test of store-bought Italian dressings, the Olive Garden Italian came in a respectable second place. One thing some of the dressing's fans on social media have discovered is that a copycat brand from Walmart tastes almost exactly like the original: Walmart's store branded Great Value Restaurant Style Italian Dressing.

In a side-by-side taste test, YouTube reviewer Janice's Kentucky Kitchen expressed surprise at how much the Great Value brand tastes like Olive Garden's dressing, while celebrating the price. At a cost of $1.97 for a 16-ounce bottle, Great Value Restaurant Style Italian Dressing beats the Olive Garden price, with Olive Garden Signature Italian Dressing costing $5.68 for a 24-ounce bottle. To get a sense of the savings by doing the math, you'll find the price of 32 ounces of the Great Value brand would cost $3.94, which is still less than a smaller 24-ounce bottle of the name brand.

The flavor profile of Olive Garden Signature Italian Dressing is described as sweet and savory, with ingredients like Romano cheese, garlic, vinegar and oil, combined with Italian herb flavors. Considering the versatility of this dressing — you can use Italian dressing to marinate steak or to top pasta, salads, and more — you might enjoy the possibility of not only purchasing an inexpensive copycat from Great Value, but also making your own version at home.

For an Italian dressing that's very similar to the Olive Garden brand, use 4 parts extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil, mixed in a sealable jar with salt, garlic, about 1.5 parts grated Parmesan cheese, and 1 part each of Italian seasoning, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, and a sweetener such as sugar or honey. You can also follow the conventional use of a 3-to-1 oil-to-vinegar ratio, or change it up by using what may be a better ratio of 1-to-1 oil-to-vinegar in your homemade dressing for more flavor. With all of these options, you will have ample ability to appreciate the flavor of Olive Garden Signature Italian Dressing in any fashion you desire.