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Broccoli salad is the perfect side dish to add to your summer barbecues or take to a picnic, potluck dinner, holiday party or work function. It can be made ahead of time with a minimum of fuss and refrigerated until ready to serve.
A traditional savory broccoli salad usually has bacon, cheddar cheese and chopped onion in it. To lighten up this dish and reduce the saturated fat, I used Jones Dairy Farm uncured Canadian bacon which imparted a nice smokey flavor to the salad along with fat free shredded cheddar cheese. To lighten the dressing, I cut light Miracle Whip with plain non fat yogurt. I grew up with Miracle Whip and it is my go to. However, light mayonnaise can be easily substituted for the Miracle Whip.
This broccoli salad pairs well with typical barbecue meats. It nicely rounds outs fish and other seafood dishes. And, of course, it goes great with deli sandwiches. It’s a regular in our menu rotation.
Please see the recipe card below for exact amounts and directions.
Ingredient Round Up
- Fresh broccoli florets
- Onion
- Shredded fat free cheddar
- Canadian bacon – I used Jones Dairy Farm brand.
- Light Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
- Plain non fat yogurt
- Salt
- Black pepper
Making the Broccoli Salad
- Rinse and pat dry the broccoli florets and place them on a microwave safe plate. I don’t care for raw broccoli so I par-cook mine in the microwave. If you prefer raw broccoli skip this step.
- Place the par-cooked or raw broccoli in a bowl. Add the finely chopped onion to the bowl.
- Slice the Canadian bacon slices into small pieces and add them to the bowl with the broccoli florets. Toss until the bacon pieces are distributed among the florets.
- Add the shredded cheddar cheese to the bowl and toss until it is distributed throughout the broccoli florets.
- In a separate small bowl, mix the plain non fat yogurt with the light Miracle Whip or mayo. Then add it to the bowl with the other broccoli salad ingredients. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss together until the florets, Canadian bacon, onions and shredded cheese are evenly coated with the dressing mixture.
- Transfer the contents to a plastic storage container. Refrigerate several hours before serving. After serving, refrigerate leftovers.
Serving Ideas
- This broccoli is a great side to serve at a summer barbecue or picnic.
- It pairs well with hotdogs, hamburger, steaks, chicken and other grilled proteins.
- Serve this salad with fish or seafood such as shrimp or crab cakes.
- A side of this broccoli salad along with a deli sandwich for lunch or dinner is a winner.
WW 1 pt per 1/2 cup serving
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Chef knife
- Wooden spoon
- mixing bowl
- storage bowl
- microwaveable plate
Ingredients
- 13 oz broccoli florets
- 4 tbsp chopped onion
- 4 slices Canadian bacon
- ¼ c shredded fat free cheddar
- 2 tbsp plain non fat yogurt
- 3 tbsp light Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Separate the florets from a bunch of fresh broccoli. Rinse them and pat dry. I prefer slightly cooked broccoli over raw broccoli. I place mine in a casserole or on a microwaveable plate and cook on high for 2 min. Transfer the cooked florets to a mixing bowl. If you prefer your florets raw, skip the microwave step and place them directly in a mixing bowl.
- Finely chop the onion and add it to the florets in the mixing bowl. Toss the florets and the chopped onion together.
- Slice the Canadian bacon slices into small pieces. Add it to the mixing bowl. Toss the contents to evenly distribute the bacon among the florets.
- Add the fat free shredded cheddar cheese to the mixing bowl and toss together with the other ingredients.
- In a small bowl mix the plain non fat yogurt and the light Miracle Whip or mayonnaise together.
- Sprinkle a pinch of black pepper and salt over the mixing bowl contents. Then add the dressing mixture to the bowl. Toss the bowl contents until the dressing is evenly distributed over the florets, onion, Canadian bacon and cheese.
- Transfer the mixed broccoli salad to a storage container and refrigerate for several hr. before serving.
- Serve when ready and enjoy. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
