Recipe: Silly Goose Broccoli Salad

This broccoli salad recipe is one of my long time favorites and is ALWAYS a big hit. I don't think I've ever taken it to a picnic or party and not had at least one person ask for the recipe. This dish is perfect for picnics, baby showers, bridal brunches, and more! It's bright, fresh, delicious, and filled with fun summer flavors, but I've even served it at Thanksgiving to offer a fresh, lighter option instead of a regular salad.

Like many of my favorite dishes, this recipe can be adjusted to fit your liking. Don't like an ingredient? Skip it. Want to add nuts? Do it!

Silly Goose Broccoli Salad

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 large head broccoli or 3-4 florets

• 6-8 slices chopped or crumbled bacon

• 6-8oz crumbled cheese (cheddar or blend)

• 1c halved cherry tomatoes (or similar)

• 1c Craisins

• 2/3c mayonnaise

• 1/4c sugar

• 1/4c balsamic vinegar

• salt & pepper

• 1/4-1/2c chopped red onion (optional)

Instructions

Chop broccoli in to bite sized pieces. Add bacon, cheese, tomatoes, Craisins. In 2-4c measuring cup or small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sugar, balsamic, and salt and pepper (to taste). Pour over salad and stir through until well mixed. Cover and keep cold until ready to serve. Just before serving add in red onion.

Tips from your Top Goose

• This recipe is great for leftovers! I like to make a large batch and have extra for a couple days.

• You can used prepared bacon but the flavor will be so much better if you use freshly cooked bacon, chopped in 1 inch pieces or crumbled.

• I do not recommend using normal shredded cheese for this recipe. Its too thin and just gets stringy and lost. Some brands offers an extra large shred that can be lightly chopped, or you can hand chop from a block. The flavor will be so much better!

• For the tomatoes, I like to get more oval shaped tomatoes and slice them long ways (top to bottom vs around the middle). It helps to keep the insides of the tomatoes more intact and I like how it looks.

• When including red onion, I recommend adding it just before serving so the flavor (and smell) doesn't take over the rest of the salad. If you're planning to have leftovers, you may want to keep the red onion on the side and add as needed.

• The dressing for this salad can be adjusted to your liking - if you want a thicker sauce, add more mayonnaise. If you prefer the dressing lighter like a vinaigrette, pull back on the mayonnaise and add more balsamic. I've tried it all ways and like best something in the middle that has the consistency of something like a honey mustard. Don't skip out on the pepper - it helps balance the dressing.

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