Broccoli Salad

I tried a new recipe to take to Friday night family dinner - Broccoli Salad - and it was NOT well-received. I was fairly sure that neither my granddaughter nor son-in-law would try it, but I truly did think my daughter and grandson would not only try it, but like it. I was wrong. I thought I'd known them both to eat broccoli and even if they had never eaten broccoli salad, I thought they'd each at least try a small bite of it, but they chose to pass, and that was ok. Each person has different tastes. My hubby and I really liked it. Well, we had broccoli salad to take home with us. I like to leave the meal leftovers with the kids if they are things the family likes and will use, but there was no doubt the broccoli salad was coming home with us. I'm still going to post the recipe and you can decide for yourself whether you like it or not. Hubby and I give it a "thumbs up". It's not difficult to prepare and you can make it vegetarian by simply leaving out the bacon pieces.

BROCCOLI SALAD

1 fresh head broccoli - use florets only

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup raisins

1 small red onion, chopped

1/4 cup bacon pieces

1 cup Miracle Whip or Hellman's salad dressing ("light" works)

1/4 cup white sugar (I used less)

2 Tbsp. vinegar

In large bowl, mix together broccoli, bacon, cheese, raisins, and onions. Whisk together the salad dressing, sugar, and vinegar. Pour dressing over broccoli mixture and toss well. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

Please leave a comment and let me know if any of you try the recipes I've posted. I'd love to know if you like them, and if you don't care for them, feel free to express that too. Everybody's taste is different.

My best friend, Deanna, mentioned she often adds sunflower seeds, cherry tomatoes, or cauliflower to her broccoli salad. Those sound like great additions. I won't be adding any sunflower seeds though - I'm allergic to them! When my daughter was little, we bought a bag of sunflower seeds to snack on while watching a movie. I'd only eaten a small amount when my mouth began to tingle and my tongue began to swell. Before I knew it, my throat and lips were swollen too. I must have looked like a botox nightmare. My sweet, caring daughter could not contain her laughter, though I don't think she was actually being mean. I'm sure it really was a funny sight. I've not touched sunflower seeds since then. It's now a running joke in my family - even the grandkids are in on it. They will often ask if I'm sure I don't want some sunflower seeds - real funny.