Creamy Broccoli Salad with Bacon, Cheddar & Almonds

This recipe is from one of my oldest and dearest friends, Kelly Santoro. Kelly tasted it at a baby shower recently and enjoyed it so much that she asked for the recipe. I was skeptical at first because I’m not a big fan of raw broccoli but Kelly insisted it was delicious. She was right. The broccoli soaks up the creamy dressing — softening a bit but remaining crisp — and marries beautifully with bits of salty bacon, tangy cheddar cheese and crunchy almonds.

Begin by making the dressing. It’s a simple, Southern-style mix of mayonnaise, honey and cider vinegar.

Next, chop the broccoli into bite-sized florets and toss with the cheddar cheese, red onions and dressing. This can be done several hours ahead of time (in fact, all the better to allow the broccoli to soak up the flavor).

Cook the bacon and then crumble it into small pieces.

Right before serving, toss the sliced almonds and bacon into the salad. It’s important to do this at the last minute, otherwise the bacon will get soggy.

That’s all there is to it. Serve cold or room temperature at your next picnic or barbecue. Thanks, Kel

If you enjoyed this post, sign up for free to receive new recipes by email.

Creamy Broccoli Salad with Bacon, Cheddar & Almonds
Printable Recipe

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

For the Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellman’s
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad
9 cups broccoli florets, cut into small bite-sized pieces (you’ll need about 2 pounds of broccoli crowns*)
1 cup lightly packed grated sharp cheddar cheese, best quality
1/3 cup chopped red onion
6 slices bacon
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted if desired

Directions

1. Make dressing: Combine mayonnaise, cider vinegar, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, cheddar cheese and red onions. Add dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (Can be made a few hours ahead.)

3. Right before serving, cook bacon according to package instructions. Drain on papertowls, then crumble into small pieces over salad. Add almonds and toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve cold or room temperature.

*Broccoli crowns are trimmed just under the broccoli head, whereas broccoli bunches have stalks that are about 5 inches in length. If you can only find bunches, be sure to buy a bit extra to account for the weight of the stalk.