I was talking to a friend recently about cooking and he asked if I had a side dish recipe for broccoli. I just happen to have a broccoli side dish but it was still in my head and not on paper. I figured now was a good time to try it out on my taste testers then share it with my friend and others on dmariedining.com.

Broccoli salad is one of my personal favorites and I always looked forward to eating it when a close friend would make it for parties. However, I never took the time to make this wonderful dish because I did not think my family would eat it. I didn’t want to have a boat load of broccoli salad left over for days if I made it and no one else would try it.

Imagine my surprise when my hubby said he would be willing to taste the salad when he saw me preparing the recipe. My hubby is not a big fan of mayonnaise which is another reason I thought he might not like broccoli salad. Although broccoli is the star of the dish it all comes together with the mayo. Fortunately, the broccoli salad recipe I came up with is not too creamy and is complimented by the mayonnaise.

I must say I held my breath while my hubby tasted the broccoli salad. Again, I was pleasantly surprised when he said he really liked it. He especially liked the taste of the prosciutto with the broccoli and the slight sweetness of the golden raisins.

For me, the best thing about broccoli salad is that it is good no matter the season. Winter, spring, summer or fall this is a recipe that works all the time.

Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Prosciutto

Ingredients:
1 ½ fresh broccoli florets
1 tbsp red onion diced
4 bacon slices
3 oz prosciutto
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup miracle whip
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup Gazebo Room Greek Salad Dressing and Marinade (Italian dressing optional)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Juice from 1 lemon

Prepare 4 cups of cold water with ice cubes in a large bowl and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a small frying pan. Add prosciutto and lightly fry until crisp. Drain, chop and set aside.

Bacon can be oven fried, crisped in the microwave or fried on the stove. Drain, chop and set aside.

Bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli florets and cook for 3 minutes. Remove broccoli and immediately place in the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Let sit for a couple of minutes then drain. Remove any stray pieces of ice.

In a large bowl add broccoli and pour salad dressing over the broccoli. Add remaining ingredients and mix gently until well blended. Chill for 30 minutes or overnight. Stir salad before serving.

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