Hidden Valley Ranch exec reveals all the ways he runs the ranch

Farm lovers should get one dipping in the morning.

Nick Higgins, an executive at Hidden Valley Ranch’s parent company, Clorox, has an unconventional way to eat creamy and delicious ranch beyond celery, wings and chips.

“I have to admit, as part of my job, I’ve farmed some pretty unique things over the years,” the San Francisco-based farm lover, 43, told The Post.

As vice president and general manager of the food business unit for Clorox for just over two years, Higgins has had plenty of opportunities to experiment with all kinds of ranch flavors — more than a dozen in all — and combinations. . Besides savoring it for work, he eats the spice about four to five times a week alone — and has discovered a strange but delicious concoction.

“One of the most unusual but surprisingly delicious pairings I’ve tried is with eggs,” he said. “The ranch spices pair surprisingly well with the scrambled eggs, really picking up the flavor in my breakfast.”

This discovery was a happy accident for Higgins, who always tries to put some kind of spice on his eggs to enjoy the breakfast staple.

“If you think of it more like a spice, you can take it to a lot of different places,” Higgins said. “You’re just never going to throw a bottle of ranch over scrambled eggs, but in the process and the cooking and the seasoning, those flavors just come through and I think it makes everything taste a little bit better.”

People are always pleasantly surprised when they try an unconventional pairing he has prepared.

“[Ranch] it makes bad food taste good and good food taste good,” he said. “It helps pull out small pieces for whatever host food you attach it to.”

“If you just went and said, ‘Hey, I put Hidden Valley Ranch on your eggs,’ it’s like, ‘Man, what are you doing?’ Higgins said. “It’s kind of like a hack. People are unexpected and then they like the taste.”

Higgins, who said he’s “always loved” Hidden Valley since childhood, said people really sleep in the mornings as a farm occasion.

He said it’s a match made in the valley for potatoes of all kinds – and hash browns, home fries and breakfast potatoes are the ideal option to enjoy your breakfast.

And potatoes aren’t the only versatile food that can grow from the farm and cross lines between meals.

“We’re just trying to help people break down a potential stigma of using the farm in certain portions or daily occasions or hosting food pairings,” he said. “We’re just trying to give people permission … and so far people are loving it.”

While he admits it’s “hard to beat classic options like hot wings and veggie,” his favorite is still the pizza at HVR, especially the new garlic ranch flavor option.

“Ranch Pizza has been a must for me for as long as I can remember, back in high school,” Higgins said. “My mom would also make ‘Restaurant Ranch’ for special occasions, using the Hidden Valley Ranch package with buttermilk and mayo. There was nothing like it.”

And Higgins has with a farm with creative ways to use spices, such as Dressing up the classic charcuterie board with ranch-spiced cashews.

“It just adds another dimension of flavor,” he explained. “The spice gives them a nice kick that perfectly compliments the other elements on the board. The most common question we get from our guests is how we made them.”

Growing up in Kentucky with a picky eater brother, farm was always a staple in their home.

“It offers a really comfortable taste that people like,” he noted.

But the people who work for Hidden Valley aren’t the only enthusiasts.

It’s hard to forget the outpouring of love Melissa McCarthy showed for the brand in the iconic Saturday Night Live skit from 2011, “Taste Test,” in which her character played one of three panelists eagerly testing their new products. .

“Hidden Valley Ranch! HVR! HVR!” McCarthy sang on the late-night sketch show before downing an entire bottle of the product.

“The lengths people go to experience the farm — farm fountains at weddings, farm tattoos,” Higgins said. “It’s humbling because people love it so much.”