Quick Broccoli Salad Recipe: A 5-Ingredient Side Dish Game Changer by Donna John

My husband decided at the last minute to smoke ribs over the weekend. We invited my parents over and I needed side dishes to go with these smoked pork spareribs. I'd already been to the store the day before and I was not, I repeat, not going back to fight the weekend shoppers. What to do? A side dish scavenger hunt in the pantry and fridge.

After finding some beautiful fresh broccoli, cheddar cheese, thick slab bacon, green onions and ranch dressing, it was a no-brainer to make a delicious broccoli salad. The only ingredient I had to cook was the bacon, which sizzled away in the microwave while I cut up the broccoli and green onions and shredded the cheese. This vegetable salad recipe was crisp, fresh and the perfect side dish for what was to come.

This quick and creamy broccoli salad complements any dinner main dish – from chicken to pork to beef to seafood to burgers and hotdogs. This is a wonderful meal-prep recipe and perfect for potlucks, cookouts, holidays and busy Monday nights.

Broccoli is also a super food! Read about the health benefits of broccoli.

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Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes (if you have to cook bacon)
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 3 - 4 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 3 - 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese 
• 1/3 cup ranch salad dressing or mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup crumbled bacon

Helpful Products

• Cutting Board
• Chef Knife
• Measuring Cups
• Salt and Pepper
• Rubber Spatula
• Mixing Bowl
• Grater
• Airtight Containers
• Pepper Grinder

Recipe Notes

• For broccoli salads I like to cut my florets pretty small so they're easier to eat.
  
• Adjust the amounts of each ingredient to suit your tastes.

• For the best results, grate your cheese fresh. Instead of cheddar cheese, you could use colby-jack, pepper-jack, Monterey Jack, gouda, gruyere or Swiss cheese. (Use what you like!)

• You can use pre-cooked bacon to save time or cook bacon fresh for this recipe. I cooked four slices of thick bacon in the microwave for five minutes, drained on paper towels and crumbled.
  

• If you use mayonnaise and not ranch salad dressing, you could stir in some garlic power and/or onion powder for more flavor.

• Try this recipe with green peas or cauliflower florets instead of broccoli. 

• Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Here's how to make it: 

1. Put the broccoli, green onions and shredded cheese into a mixing bowl.
   
2. Add the ranch dressing and crumbled bacon. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
   
3. Stir well to combine.
   
4. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
   

Nutrition Facts Per Serving

Calories: 196

Total Fat: 12.2g

Saturated Fat: 4.3g

Cholesterol: 23mg

Sodium: 328mg

Total Carbohydrate: 14.5g

Dietary Fiber: 5.2g

Total Sugars: 4.4g

Protein: 10.4g

Vitamin D: 2mcg

Calcium: 210mg

Iron: 2mg

Potassium: 640mg

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. This recipe has been analyzed by VeryWellFit. However, any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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