Yummy Broccoli / Bacon Salad - Great for gatherings

[Omegaman 3.0]

Broccoli / Bacon Salad

I have had broccoli salad that my wife made, and it was good. Unfortunately, I do not have her recipe. I looked online for some, and saw two that looked like they had potential, and I adapted features from both and made the following recipe from that. I intended this recipe to serve 16 people. As it turned out, 16 people had the opportunity to try it. Two of the 16 did not try it, one because he does not eat meat, and the other because he will not eat broccoli. Of the 14 who tried it, each one said they liked it, without me asking, all of them had seconds. Four people even contacted me the nest day, to tell me how much they enjoyed it. It has gone on to make 6 more servings since that meal, and there is still some left, so this recipe easily serves 16 people. Cut the recipe in half, and it will easily serve 8!

Ingredients

2 large heads broccoli or 4 medium head, cut into florets (about 16 cups or 2-1/2 to 2-3/4 pounds, (Frozen broccoli could probably be used, but it would likely be less crisp.)
2 small or one large red onion (or half and half red and yellow), chopped or diced
12 to 24 slices of bacon, crispy and crumbled (some like more, some less)* (I ended up using to packages of bacon)
2 cups of raisins or dried cranberries, or a combination
1/4 cup (or more) of sunflower seeds or other dried (and salty if you want) salad toppings (nuts, croutons, etc.)

For the dressing
1 cup of mayonnaise (or equivalent artificial dressing or ranch, etc.)
2/3 cup of white sugar or equivalent sweetener)
6 tablespoons of red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar (vinegars taste different, see notes)**

Directions (see also the notes at the end).

Combine broccoli, onion, bacon, the dried fruit, and sunflower seeds or toppings in a bowl.

Mix the mayonnaise (or other dressing), sugar (or alternative sweetener), and the vinegar together in a bowl until dressing is smooth and then pour it over mixture in the other bowl to coat it. The bowl I used was about 10 or 11 inches across at the top, and holds 4 quarts at about an inch and a quarter from the top.

Notes

*Bacon tip, for easy and less messy bacon cooking, put parchment paper or aluminum foil on a cookie sheet or two, and lay strips of bacon on it (them) side by side). Preheat oven to 400 degrees then bake for 10 to 20 minutes (watch it a little - ovens vary. 20 minutes may overdo it in some ovens, 10 might underdo it in others (the longer times leads to more crispness). Rotate the tray(s) one time to assure even cooking. When finished, take the bacon out of the oven and place the pieces on a paper towels (one plates or trays) to wick away the oil. Ths was the first time I have tried making bacon this way. If I even have to make a lot of bacon again in the future, I won't be doing that any other way, this worked great, was fast, easy, easy to clean up, and it came out great.

** Balsamic tends to be healthier, but you might want to choose a vinegar of another type, you should read about the differences here . I bought 2 kinds of rice vinegar and some balsamic and tried them on the side, and in my opinion, the balsamic tasted better, so that is what I used.

Also many like this kind of salad better after it has been refrigerated for a day, so you might want to plan ahead. You should cover and refrigerate the broccoli, onion and dressing portion for a at least a couple of hours, though even that is optional if you are in a rush.

You could add the bacon and toppings right before serving if you think some guests might not like those, such as my vegetarian friend, or let your guests add some to their own tastes optionally, but be careful as some guests might use more than their fair share.

I hear some people enjoy some of their favorite shredded cheese tossed into this as well. That also could be added to each person's individual tastes when served.