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–+ servings
Creamy Broccoli Salad

Creamy Broccoli Salad

Yield: 8 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
An easy, make-ahead classic broccoli salad! Made with crispy bacon, cheese, dried cranberries and the creamiest velvety dressing of all time.
4.9 stars (17 ratings)

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon, diced
  • 5 cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets
  • ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • ⅓ cup cashews
  • ¼ cup diced red onion
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries

For the dressing

  • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Equipment

Instructions

  • Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Drain excess fat; transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
  • In a large bowl, combine broccoli, cheese, cashews, onion, cranberries and bacon. Stir in dressing and gently toss to combine.
  • Cover and chill at least 1 hour before serving.

For the dressing

  • In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, milk, sugar and apple cider vinegar.

Notes

  • Make ahead of time. Save time by making the dressing 1-2 days in advance, and prepping and dicing the vegetables 1-2 days prior and storing them in airtight containers in the fridge. Alternatively, the broccoli salad can be made start to finish 1 day in advance, stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • Cut in uniform size. Cut all of the salad ingredients in similar size pieces for a consistent bite.
  • Lightly blanch if needed. Not a fan of the raw bite? Blanch the broccoli for 15-30 seconds, shocking in an ice bath and draining (drying) the broccoli as much as possible. No one wants a soggy, watery broccoli salad.
  • Make it lighter. Replace half of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt.
  • Save the crunchy toppings for the very end. To prevent sogginess, stir in the bacon and cashews just before serving.
  • Make it vegetarian. Skip the bacon altogether, or substitute crispy chickpeas.
  • Mix it up. Use lean bacon (or omit if desired), swap out the cashews for slivered almonds, pecans, walnuts or sunflower seeds, use cheese cubes instead of shredded cheese, or substitute the dried cranberries with dried cherries.