Broccoli Salad

I love summer for many reasons, but one of them is yummy summer salads and grilling on the porch! Two weeks ago we had our oldest daughter and her hubby up for dinner. Even though they live in the same town, they have young, busy lives and we don't see them all the time. At least not as much as I'd like. 

We had an old grill (probably at least 10+ years old), that finally bit the dust a few years ago...it could've kept going but it was discontinued and parts were no longer available, and when they were, they were spendy. Last year we purchased a smaller "table top" grill from Costco, and it is perfect for smaller gatherings. No, you can't get as much on it as a large grill, but we just also didn't have the money to fork out for a new one, which was a bit sad because I do love cooking an entire meal on the grill, which could still be done with this one, but in phases, not all at once. See below for ones like it. 

I love roasted potatoes and BBQ chicken. YUM!!! Especially with homemade BBQ sauce. Those were definitely on the menu. Then decided to add some fresh melon and one of my all time favorite salads, Broccoli salad. I could eat a whole bowl of that stuff for days. The potatoes were roasted in the oven since the grill only had room for chicken. Find my recipe for homemade BBQ sauce here. The beauty of this is you can tailor it. This time I added some Raspberry Jalapeno jam to it to change up the flavor. Play with the ingredients until it's where you want it. Double it if you need more. I also pre-cook my chicken in the oven and then finish it on the grill. I don't want burned chicken, even though char can taste yummy, it's not the best for your health. 

On to the salad. This is a classic salad that is found really everywhere and I've seen some pretty awesome variations out there, but decided to stick to the original that I got from a friends mom. 

Ingredients:

2 bunches broccoli, cut small
1 head cauliflower, cut small
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 c. mayonnaise
2/3 c. vinegar
2/3 c. sugar
1 lb. bacon fried and chopped
1 c. sunflower seeds
1 c. shredded cheese (optional)
1/2-1c. white raisins (optional)

Directions:

1. Place all chopped veggies in a bowl.

2. combine mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar. Pour over veggies and mix well.

3. If eating the same day, add bacon, cheese, seeds and raisins just before serving and stir well. If not eating til the next day, wait, and add those just before serving time. 

Super easy. Super good and honestly, when there's leftovers, I just love eating it over the course of a few days. After two, eh, it's not as good. So add this to your summer salad list. Mix up your add-ins, try something new. I do want to try a healthier substitute for the sugar, but haven't done it yet. 

Here on this blog, you may get blessed with pics of finished products, but possibly not because no one is patient enough to wait around for photos to be taken. This just is what it is.

What's your favorite summer salad?

With Joy Unquenchable,