Create this delicious side dish combining fresh broccoli, cheese, bacon, dried cranberries, and nuts then top it off with a sweet & tangy homemade dressing! You’ll want to keep this recipes around all year!
It’s that time of year! The grills and bbq’s are starting and I love a good side dish that not only doesn’t require much work, but is light and tasty. My husband has been making this broccoli salad since I met him, and it’s one of our favorites! You can pretty much add anything you like to the salad, but we’ve got a nice list here that will compliment the homemade dressing really well.
Simply gather all your ingredients ahead of time then simply toss in this tangy yet sweet dressing!
I prefer a creamy dressing, so this mayonnaise based dressing is the perfect mix with a bit of red wine vinegar, sugar, and just a touch of lemon to balance it out. Simply whisk these together with a bit of salt & pepper!
Allow this to sit for a bit while you prepare your other ingredients. Slice and cook 8-10 slices of bacon, then drain. Wash and cut your broccoli into bite size pieces and add to a bowl. Slice half of a medium red onion, and we use pecans in our salad because they just taste amazing!
Mix the rest of your ingredients then pour your homemade dressing over them and toss, making sure you’ve mixed everything together well.
Ingredients
- 8 cups fresh broccoli cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 medium red onion sliced or diced
- 1/4 cup pecans you can also use walnuts or sunflower seeds
- 8-10 pieces bacon fried and sliced
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- In medium size bowl, combine red wine vinegar, granulated sugar, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Whisk well until fully combined. Set aside.
- Fry bacon until evenly cooked. Drain & crumble. (I slice my bacon before frying!)
- Wash & cut broccoli into bite sized pieces. In large bowl combine broccoli, red onion, pecans, bacon, cheese, and dried cranberries.
- Combine dressing with all other ingredients and mix well until fully coated and combined. Refrigerate about an hour before serving.
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