Russian dressing typically includes a combination of mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce, along with various spices and seasonings like paprika, garlic, and onion powder. This results in a tangy and slightly spicy dressing with a reddish-pink color. Thousand Island dressing, on the other hand, typically includes mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet pickle relish, resulting in a dressing that is creamy, slightly sweet, and has a light orange color due to the ketchup. While the base for both dressing is similar, Russian dressing typically has a spicier flavor profile due to the addition of horseradish, and it may have a slightly thinner consistency than Thousand Island dressing. Thousand Island dressing is often sweeter and has a more pronounced pickle flavor due to the addition of sweet pickle relish. But for the most part they can be used interchangeably.