Broccoli is one of those vegetables you can find year round.  (It is important to use fresh broccoli for this recipe, the frozen stuff just doesn’t work).  This a great side or snack year round. It is also considerably cheaper (and tastes better) to make it yourself. In my local grocery this stuff costs around $6 for a tiny little bowl. You can make a giant bowl full for about the same money if you do it yourself, and you can tweak the recipe to your liking.

Ingredients:

• 2 heads of broccoli (or 4-6 large stalks)
• 3-5 strips of bacon (or real bacon bits)
• 1/2 cup of dried cranberries (Craisins)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 5 green onions
• 1 Cup Mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsps. Sugar
• 2 Tbsps. White Vinegar

Directions:

1. Wash the broccoli and cut off just the florets. I usually cut the larger florets in half or quarters.  The goal is small, bite sized pieces.  Place into a large bowl.
2. Cook the bacon crispy.  Drain and crumble into small pieces (or you can cheat and buy bacon bits).  Add these to the bowl.
3. Chop the green onions and add them to the bowl.
4. Add the cranberries and walnuts to the bowl.
5. In a small bowl mix the sugar and vinegar, then stir in mayonnaise.
6. Pour the mayo dressing over the broccoli mix and stir well to coat. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Notes: Broccoli salad is very forgiving and perfect for experimenting.  Don’t have craisins, use raisins.  No raisins?  Try dried cherries or other dried fruit or leave them out.  Try other nuts in place of walnuts, like cashews or almonds.  Sometimes I use sunflower seeds instead of nuts. I like to add shredded carrots or other diced or shredded vegetables.  You get the idea.  Take this recipe and make it yours with your own twist.  Enjoy.

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