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Broccoli Bacon Cranberry Salad for Thanksgiving

Creamy cold salad · Potluck, BBQ, or holiday side dish · crunchy, sweet-savory, and make-ahead friendly

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Calories: 570
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • For the salad
  • 10 to 11 slices bacon cooked and chopped
  • 2 heads broccoli about 1 1/2 pounds, chopped into small florets
  • Finely chopped stems can go in too if you like extra crunch.
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/3 cup roasted salted sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • Freshly grated cheese is the better option here.
  • 1/3 cup chopped red onion or more to taste
  • For the dressing
  • 1 1/4 cups Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • Red wine vinegar rice wine vinegar, or sherry are also mentioned as workable swaps.
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Method
 

  1. Cook the bacon.
  2. Bake or cook the bacon until crisp, then let it cool and chop it into bite-size pieces. The source specifically recommends baking it in the oven for an easier, less messy method.
  3. Whisk the dressing.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the Miracle Whip or mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, dry mustard, and cayenne until smooth.
  5. Chop the broccoli small.
  6. Cut the florets into smaller pieces so the salad is easier to eat and every bite gets a little bit of everything. If you want, finely chop the broccoli stems and add those too.
  7. Add the mix-ins.
  8. Stir the broccoli, cranberries, sunflower seeds, cheddar, red onion, and most of the bacon into the bowl with the dressing. Hold back a little bacon for topping if you want a prettier finish.
  9. Toss well.
  10. Mix until the dressing coats all the ingredients evenly.
  11. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
  12. You can serve the salad right away, let it chill first, or bring it out after about 20 minutes on the counter if it has been refrigerated.