You can bring home the bacon...and the bacon-buttermilk salad dressing. Indeed, research has shown that the more money you make, the more bottled salad dressing you're likely to use. People don't mind paying for the convenience, even though it's easy to make dressing from scratch. But sometimes it's that little extra effort that renders something impossible.

Real Simple road-tested 43 bottled dressings in eight categories, picked the best, and then asked, What else can these do besides dress a salad?

Blue Cheese

WINNER: MARIE'S CHUNKY BLUE CHEESE
PRICE: $3.10
CALORIES/FAT*: 170/19 grams
TASTING NOTES: Strong blue-cheese flavor from chunks of cheese; thick texture.

RUNNER-UP: Briannas Home Style True Blue Cheese
Tangy, vinegary, and sweet; notes of pepper; $3.40, 130 calories, 13 grams of fat.

Ranch
WINNER: HIDDEN VALLEY RANCH
PRICE: $2.30
CALORIES/FAT*: 140/14 grams
TASTING NOTES Nice bite; peppery and fresh tasting; notes of real garlic, buttermilk, and spices.

RUNNER-UP:Kraft Light Done Right Ranch
Very tangy and sharp; slight artificial aftertaste; $1.80, 70 calories, 4.5 grams of fat.

Caesar
WINNER: BRIANNAS HOME STYLE ASIAGO CAESAR
PRICE: $3.40
CALORIES/FAT*: 140/15 grams
TASTING NOTES: Good, thick texture, with notes of Asiago cheese and pepper.

RUNNER-UP: Newman's Own Caesar
Nice dried spices lend flavor; some Romano taste; $2.30, 150 calories, 16 grams of fat.

Honey Mustard
WINNER: BABCOCK & BABCOCK HONEY-MUSTARD
PRICE: $3.40
CALORIES/FAT*: 120/11 grams
TASTING NOTES: Deliciously gooey, with a honeyed, rich brown color.

RUNNER-UP: Hellmann's Light Honey Dijon
Sweet, with a little tang; light and pleasing; $1.90, 80 calories, 4 grams of fat.

French
WINNER: WISH-BONE DELUXE FRENCH
PRICE: $1.80
CALORIES/FAT*: 120/11 grams
TASTING NOTES: Jazzy and spicy, with notes of pepper and a good acid-oil balance.

RUNNER-UP: Ken's Steak House Country French
Sweet and sour, like an Asian dipping sauce; $1.90, 130 calories, 11 grams of fat.

Thousand Island
WINNER: MARIE'S THOUSAND ISLAND
PRICE: $3.10
CALORIES/FAT*: 160/16 grams
TASTING NOTES: Sweet without being cloying; great pickle flavor.

RUNNER-UP: Wish-Bone Thousand Island
Smooth; neither too sweet nor too tangy, but with an almost vitamin-like aftertaste; $1.80, 140 calories, 12 grams of fat.

Italian

WINNER: HELLMANN'S ITALIAN
PRICE: $1.90
CALORIES/FAT*: 110/11 grams
TASTING NOTES: Salty with a good vinegar-oil balance.

RUNNER-UP: Newman's Own Family Recipe
Italian Distinctive Romano flavor; simple but balanced; $2 fat. 120 calories, 13 grams of fat.

Vinaigrette
WINNER: KEN'S STEAK HOUSE LITE BALSAMIC & BASIL VINAIGRETTE
PRICE: $1.90
CALORIES/FAT*: 50/5 grams
TASTING NOTES: Herby, zesty, and not overly sweet.

RUNNER-UP: Wish-Bone Balsamic Vinaigrette
Woody flavor, strong hint of oregano; $1.80, 60 calories, 5 grams of fat.


* Per 2-tablespoon serving.