This Easy Broccoli Salad with bacon and cheese is a light and easy recipe! It’s crunchy, colorful, and packed with nutrients!
For healthy & budget-friendly side dishes, this easy broccoli salad is ranked at the top of the list! A popular choice for picnics and potlucks, broccoli salad is easy to make and easy to take!
Easy Broccoli Salad
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Broccoli Bacon Salad
We love broccoli salad with bacon & cheese because it’s super simple to make and it looks irresistible on a buffet or potluck table! Made with a simple creamy dressing and lots of crunchy ingredients, this salad is a hit year round.
Ingredients and Variations
- VEGGIES – Broccoli shines in this salad, and the addition of red onion really brings out the flavor.
- PROTEIN – Bacon, cheese and sunflower seeds provide lots of crunch and flavor. And an extra boost of protein!
- DRESSING – All the ingredients are tossed with a tangy and super creamy mayonnaise and lemon juice dressing.
- OTHER VARIATIONS – Change the flavor profile by switching out the sunflower seeds for walnuts, or the dressing for a bottled vinaigrette. And for a colorful variation, replace half the broccoli with cauliflower. Or try adding chopped sundried tomatoes topped with feta cheese!
How To Make Broccoli Salad
It’s as easy as 1-2-3 to make broccoli salad with bacon and cheese!
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together.
- Drizzle chopped broccoli and other ingredients with dressing, toss to coat.
- Season with salt and pepper, garnish with additional sunflower seeds if desired.
Tips, Tricks, and Timesavers
- Broccoli salad is perfect made in advance and stored in the refrigerator. As a result, it will taste better served cold once all the flavors have blended together.
- No need to pre-cook or steam broccoli, simply cut into uniform and bite-size pieces.
- You can blanch broccoli to give it a bright green color and a tender crisp texture. If you choose this option, place florets in boiling water for about a minute and then immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process.
- Select broccoli florets, not the stems. Remove any small leaves from florets and cut the tops away from the stems.
PRO TIP! Save the stems and store in the freezer for future recipes, like broccoli soup or delicious broccoli bake!
Storing Leftovers
- Refrigerated broccoli salad will stay fresh for up to 4 days stored in an airtight container. Before serving give it a quick stir and adjust the seasonings.
- Leftover broccoli salad is great over a bed of greens, or tucked into a wrap for a quick grab-and-go lunch!
Other Delicious Salads!
- Pesto Caprese Salad – a twist on a favorite.
- BLT Rotisserie Chicken Salad – used as a sandwich filling too!
- Tomato Salad – super easy to make.
- Spinach and Strawberry Salad – fresh and delicious.
- Snicker Salad – family favorite!
Easy Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 6 cups broccoli
- ½ cup bacon bits or ½ lb bacon cooked and crumbled
- ⅔ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup red onion
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix mayo, sugar, and lemon juice. Mix well and set aside.
- Chop broccoli florets into small pieces and put into medium sized mixing bowl.
- Add diced onion, shredded cheese, crumbled bacon and sunflower seeds to the broccoli.
- Add the dressing mix to the other ingredients and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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