Ranch Dressing Stages a Comeback on Snack Menus

Is there a more precise indicator of a substandard slice of pizza than one dipped in ranch dressing? It’s a low point for both the pie and the all-American salad dressing that has endured all manner of culinary indignities, from ranch-flavored taco shells to hummus and even soda. Sometimes it seems as if we as a nation are waterboarding ourselves with Homer Simpson’s proverbial ranch dressing hose.

How did this once-wholesome concoction of buttermilk, mayo,...