To easily marinate chicken breasts, use bottled Italian salad dressing. It contains a combination of oil, vinegar, and salt that is similar to many poultry marinades. Caesar salad dressing is particularly good.

For Creole-style boiled shrimp, combine bottled Caesar salad dressing, Worcestershire sauce, unsalted butter, paprika, and thyme in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then add shrimp. Cook the shrimp until pink and cooked through, then serve hot over white rice.

For easy turkey “London broil,” pour 1 C. bottled Italian salad dressing into a zip-close bag. Add a 2-pound boneless butterflied whole turkey breast (turkey London broil) and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours. Preheat a grill to medium. Meanwhile, remove the turkey from the marinade and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Grill the turkey until the thickest section of meat feels firm when pressed and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer, 8 to 10 minutes per side. Let rest for 2 minutes before slicing. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

To lend robust flavor to a creamy soup, stir in some bottled blue cheese salad dressing toward the end of the cooking time.

To make a quick filling for a sandwich wrap, mix together 2 drained cans of oil-packed tuna, 1 drained and rinsed can (15 oz.) small white beans, 1/3 C. bottled Italian vinaigrette, 2 sliced scallions, and 1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley. Roll up in large tortilla wraps and cut each in half crosswise before serving.

For a quick blue cheese baste and sauce for grilled poultry, mix together 1 C. bottled blue cheese salad dressing and 1/4 C. bottled Italian salad dressing. Divide the dressing mixture between two bowls. Brush 1 pound poultry cutlets (each about 1/4 inch thick) with the dressing mixture from one bowl. Grill or broil the poultry on an oiled grill grate or broiler pan 4 inches from a hot fire or heating element until firm and the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a fork, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with the dressing mixture in the other bowl.

To give roast beef or corned beef sandwiches a flavor lift, spread bottled Russian salad dressing on rye bread and top with some prepared horseradish before adding the beef.

For an easy sweet-and-sour glaze, melt 6 tsp. apricot jelly in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring often. Mix in 1 C. bottled French salad dressing and 1 package (1 oz.) dry onion soup mix. Use as a glaze for baked chicken, roast turkey, roast pork, ham, baked pork chops, spareribs, beef ribs, or meatballs.

To make extra-crispy oven-fried chicken that is low in fat and high in flavor, toss 4 pounds skinless bone-in chicken parts with 1 C. bottled reduced-fat French salad dressing. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight. Pulverize 3 C. unsweetened cereal flakes (such as cornflakes) until finely ground and place into a 1-gallon zip-close freezer bag. Lift the chicken from the marinade and toss in the bag until well-coated with the crushed cereal. Place the coated chicken in a nonstick glass or ceramic baking pan. Bake at 450°F until the thickest portion registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer and the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork, 45 to 50 minutes.

For an alternative to garlic bread, combine 2 C. shredded Monterey Jack cheese and 3/4 C. bottled ranch salad dressing in a medium bowl. Cut a 1-pound loaf of French bread in half lengthwise, brush with melted unsalted butter, and broil 4 inches from the heat until golden brown. Spread the cheese mixture onto the bread and bake at 350°F until the cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with minced fresh parsley, cut into 1 1/2-inch slices and serve.