Monday, June 14, 2010

RECIPE: Broccoli, Bacon & Cheddar Salad with Old-Fashioned Boiled Dressing

 I'm one of those people who enjoys raw broccoli much more than cooked (although I'll eat it that way, too). The combo of broccoli, bacon and cheddar is one of my favourites. I've made this salad for years with a mayonnaise and sour cream based dressing. Last week we were out of sour cream and running low on mayo, and there was a broccoli in the fridge that needed using up. I really wanted to make this salad, and it occurred to me that I could give it a try with a boiled dressing.

The results were more than satisfactory - this dressing has more of a mustardy kick to it than the one I was previously using, which is a perfect match for the flavours in this salad. We all loved it!

If possible, it's better to make the dressing the day before you're going to make the salad, as the flavour improves if it has a chance to sit for a while. It will still taste fine if you need to use it the same day, just not *quite* as yummy!

Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli, chopped into medium-sized pieces
6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 recipe Old-Fashioned Boiled Dressing (recipe follows)

Combine all ingredients and mix gently until well blended.

Old-Fashioned Boiled Dressing:
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1 tbsp sugar
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vinegar

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the flour, mustard and sugar. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and blend well. Slowly add the wet mixture to the flour mixture, whisking constantly. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Transfer to storage container and chill until serving (ideally overnight). If the dressing thickens up too much after chilling, thin it out with a little milk or water to desired consistency.

This post is linked to Tempt my Tummy TuesdayTasty Tuesday, and the GCC Recipe Swap.

4 comments:

  1. Oh, this looks incredible! I love anything with bacon...I admit it. :-) I hope you enjoy making the oatmeal carmelitas. When you said that you would substitute peanuts for pecans, I started thinking of how wonderful it would be to just dollop on some chunky peanut butter...yum! And HOMEMADE caramel sauce? Really? I'm thinking you might have to leave another comment after you do it, letting us know how you like them and possibly sharing that caramel recipe??? Please! :-)

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  2. I'm going to have to give this dressing a try. We're definitely doing a lot of salads right now. Thank you for sharing it!

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  3. I'm rather fond of bacon myself :) I will definitely give you an update after I try my version of the carmelitas. It looks like the next week or so is going to be dedicated to strawberry picking and preserving; I'll plan to make them as soon as I can!!

    I think the boiled dressing would go well with a lot of different types of cold vegetable salads - let me know if you find a combo that's particularly yummy, okay??

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  4. Hi Karen, sharing this great recipe on my Wednesday links. thanks.

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