Try starting with a 1/4 yogurt and 3/4 mayo. Yes it will alter the flavor some. But, it also 'disguises' the tangy-ness of the yogurt some. Experiment and see how far you can go.

Deanna

Thank you, I shall try your suggestion with left over roasted chicken.

It will change the flavor, but not in a bad way. :)
I've made curried chicken salad with half yogurt and liked it. It was on of those "accidents of desperation" when I didn't have enough mayo to prepare the dish.

Brown Cow yogurt...yum! That's my favorite. That's probably the only plain yogurt I can eat right out of the container. (Although I usually stir in a spoonful of maple.)

Plain yogurt can also be used in some recipes for baking. That's another way to get the benefits of the yogurt without really tasting it. One that I tried was a regular brownie mix with yogurt instead of the oil called for by the mix. I thought they were tasty brownies - low fat. I'm not one for plain yogurt by any means, though I like the Yoplait fruit and dessert flavored yogurts!

DonnaR/CA

I sub yogurt for part of the mayo in many recipes. It can make things a bit more tangy, so if a recipe calls for mayo and something tangy like lemon juice or mustard, adjust the amounts of those items to taste.

Also, many people who don't care for yogurt but who like sour cream o.k. will like home made yogurt better than store bought. I don't know what they do to the yogurt in the stores, but it has an odd, sort of "chalky" aftertaste that I never could like. Home made does not have that aftertaste, it just sort of tastes like sour cream that isn't very sour.

Bring 2 quarts of milk almost to a boil, then remove it from the heat and pour into a clean, heavy bowl. When the milk cools to the point where you'd put it in a baby's bottle (warm, NOT hot!), stir in 4 T of store bought yogurt (plain) with active cultures, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and keep warm...a gas oven that has a pilot light is excellent, but if you have an electric like I do, you can put the bowl under a warm lamp or on a heating pad turned low.

Depending on how "active" your cultures are, how warm the weather is, and who knows what other factors, leave it sit for anywhere from 5 to 12 hours.

When the yogurt is fairly firm, pour it into a colander lined with muslin and let it drain until it is the consistency you prefer. If you are concerned about how long it is sitting out, this step can be carried out in the refrigerator.

Yogurt cheese can be made by covering the yogurt with the edges of the muslin and putting a weight on top until the "cheese" is of a consistency you like.

I use (whole milk)yogurt in place of cream or milk in many recipes--spaghetti carbonera, mac and cheese, etc., and also in pancakes. Very good.

Wow, thanks for tips. Years ago I had a culture and made yogurt from just by adding milk and every week taking out a certain amt and adding milk again. Somehow I let it die out, to bad because that was good.
I didn't realize you could do it from bought yogurt. Will the containers say "live culture" on them?
Again thanks.

But..if you cook yogurt, you are killing the beneficial part...the live cultures.
I don't like to sub yogurt for mayo, but I find it's a good sub for sour cream...or as a sour cream add to to lower the fat content.
Linda C

All of the store-bought yogurt containers in our area have the words "live and active cultures" on them - that includes plain, fruited, and dessert-type. You will have to check the whole label because every company seems to put those words in a different place.

I usually buy the store's brand, if they have it.

DonnaR/CA

Yes, the container should say there are live cultures. Sometimes it lists them by name, Lactobacillus acidophilis, or L.acidophilis is the one I remember.

Oh, another thing...I have made yogurt with lo fat milk as well, and it seems to take longer to "set up" but it does work.

lindac, any dip recipes that I use sour cream I can substitute with yogurt? That sure sounds like a good way. I know I have seen by DH use it on baked potatoes.

I use yougert in place of sour cream. I make yougert ranch by mixing powered ranch dressing with plain yougert.

I also make my own yogurt. I used to put quart jars into a cooler filled with hot water, then my brain kicked into gear and I started using my old food dehydrator. I always have a couple of quarts in the refrigerator. My first batch started with just plain old Dannon, vanilla flavored because my small town independent grocery didn't have any plain! It gets more "sour" as it gets older. I always use low fat milk, like Rachelellen, and have good results.

I use yogurt as a sub for sour cream, in a pinch instead of buttermilk for pancakes and biscuits, and I often sub part of the mayo in salads with yogurt. Ashley doesn't like it in dips, but I do.

I think the only way to find out if you like it is to try it.

Annie

Have you ever tried Greek yogurt? It has a smooth and creamy texture and different flavor than other yogurts.

I have never seen or heard of Greek yogurt but I shall be on the lookout.
I did the chicken salad with 1/3 yogurt and 2/3 light mayo. I noticed an altered taste but it was very good. DH was very pleased, wondered why I didn't use more yogurt. Next time I will try 1/2 & 1/2. Thanks for tips.

OMG ruthanna,
I just tried Geek yogurt last week. My grocery store had some plain Chobani low fat Greek yogurt so I thought why not. It's amazing. It's thick and creamy has a very clean taste with no aftertaste. The taste is sort of a mixture of cream cheese, yogurt and sour cream but without out the real sour taste. I'm hooked! It's great with any kind of berries and homemade granola for breakfast or snack or whatever.