It is almost cookout season! Yay! I love a good grilled burger or hot dog. Nolan and I have been getting together with our friends once a month or so on Sundays and cook big meals together. This past weekend we grilled and I brought this delicious Broccoli Salad!
This is Nolan's favorite salad recipe. It figures because it is packed with bacon, cheddar cheese, pecans, and has a mayo base dressing. I don't think it really qualifies as a salad. Well at least not a healthy salad.
However, it is perfect for bringing to cookouts because it is a crowd pleaser, and it travels well. You don't have to worry about keeping it warm or anything.
I make my slaw dressing from scratch, but you can always buy your favorite brand to use. Before get to the dressing let me tell you a little trick:
*Soak the red onion for about 15 minutes before tossing it into the salad to get rid of some of that potency!*
Seriously! I get heartburn from red onions (and I love them...sad face), but this really cuts back on that super strong onion smell and flavor. It's good for a raw salad. Now for the dressing:
It's is super simple. Just mayo, apple cider vinegar, sugar, lemon, and salt and pepper. Just mix everything together in a big bowl. Then comes the chopping... Chop up all of the broccoli into bite size pieces. Chop the cooked bacon and pecans too. Then throw everything into a bowl
You can switch out the pecans for sesame seeds if you like too! Both versions are delicious.
Another great thing about this recipe is it gets better when it sits for awhile. The broccoli absorbs the dressing, and all the flavors melt together. Feel free to make this hours even a day in advance.
Broccoli Salad
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6
Description
Broccoli Salad is the best for a picnic side, barbecue side, or grill out side dish. The simple salad is basically a Cole slaw with bacon, cheese, and yummy pecans.
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup mayo
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Broccoli Salad
- 9 cups broccoli, chopped
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1 cup bacon, cooked and chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, chopped fine
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl mix together the dressing ingregients (mayo, apple cider vinegar, sugar, lemon, salt, and pepper).
- In a large bowl, toss together the broccoli, cheddar cheese, bacon, red onion, dried cranberries, and pecans.
- Pour the dressing into the broccoli combination and toss until everything is coated.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Equipment
Buy Now →Notes
You can make this the night before, but leave out the pecans and bacon to toss in right before serving (otherwise they will loose their crunch).
This salad will last in the fridge for about two days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Side
- Method: One Pot
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: broccoli salad, side dish recipe
Serve this recipe with some Bacon Blue Sliders:
Or some Lighter Pulled Pork!
Or...these Cheesy Artichoke Brat Sandwiches! Yum!
Abigail
Yum! I love this honey mustard recipe!! I?m a HM fanatic and struggle to find a good at home recipe. This is a hit ? I used 2tbsp nonfat Greek yogurt and 2tbsp Mayo to make it just a wee healthier and thicken it a bit. For the salad, we used grapes instead of craisins and added shredded carrots and spinach! A fun, easy, light dinner!!
★★★★
Shana Light
Hi! I want to make this recipe but the ingredients are showing question marks instead of numbers. Any way I can get the ingredients list? Thanks so much!
Blaire
We love this! I used to make a broccoli salad with store bought dressing but this is so much better! 🙂
★★★★★