Broccoli Salad

So I'm told that recipes similar to this have been popping up on the potluck scene for sometime now.  I must be out of the loop.  Either that or my complete lack of desire for anything remotely broccoli-ish has blinded me.

So I guess the planets were aligned just right about a month ago when my friend Joanne brought this to a Bible study potluck. It was amazing.  It was crunchy, sweet, and salty.  It was completely not what I was expecting anything with broccoli to taste like.  And I, a lifelong broccoli despiser, was hooked.  I mean, I was craving this stuff.  I've made it no less that 6 times in the past month.  It's getting ugly here.

So I figured there might be other broccoli-haters out there who might enjoy giving this recipe a try.  If you haven't made friends with broccoli yet, this is a great recipe to get you started.  Try it some time and see if you don't become slightly less passionate about the evils of broccoli!

Here's what you'll need:

Broccoli, raisins, sunflower seeds, bacon, mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar

First, give your broccoli a good chop.

Isn't it beautiful...wait....

Do you see that?

See this guy?  He is way too big.  You want to make sure that you cut your broccoli into small bite sized pieces.  It's easier to eat, and more importantly, it gives more surface area for the dressig to cling to.  Yum.

There I feel much better now.

In a bowl, mix together the broccoli, bacon, sunflower seeds, and raisins.  Bacon.  Do you think that is why I like this recipe so much?  Maybe it has nothing to do with the broccoli at all; maybe I'm just a bacon addict.  Something to ponder.  As a side note, you may notice that the amount of bacon that made it into the bowl is significantly less than the amount of bacon that I started with.  Do they have bacon 12 step programs?  I think I may be a candidate.

In a small bowl, combine the mayo, sugar, and vinegar.  Such a yummy dressing with such few ingredients.

Pour the dressing over the broccoli.  I don't always use all of the dressing; I like to feel like I'm saving calories. But you can use as little or as much as you like.  It really is all personal taste, I think.

Give it a quick stir and voila!  An easy, tasty, and somewhat healthy side dish.  With broccoli.  Who'd have thought?


Broccoli Salad
4 cups broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup raisins
4 slices bacon, cooked crisply and crumbled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon vinegar

Combine broccoli, sunflower seeds, raisins, and bacon in serving bowl.  In a smaller bowl mix together the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar.  Pour over the broccoli mixture.  Stir and serve!