A nostalgic Midwestern salad that has been a showstopper at family gatherings for over 50 years should be on your picnic table this summer. The creamy side dish, rich with mayonnaise and cheddar cheese and flavored with bacon, is sure to get your guests’ taste buds fired up.

Midwestern Food Tradition

According to food blogger and author Meggan Hill, Midwestern food is often judged or dismissed because some of the classic recipes include a fair amount of mayonnaise. However, Hill believes that these recipes deserve more attention because they are made with the intention of feeding people well and leaving them with happy memories.

Hill, a Wisconsin native, grew up with food being the centerpiece of every gathering. She has core memories around food, such as trying raw mushrooms with dill dip for the first time at a neighborhood block party. For Hill, Thanksgiving and birthday parties are about the food, and people gather around the table to create vivid memories.

The Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad Recipe

The inspiration behind the salad was Piggly Wiggly, a grocery store chain that was an early pioneer of premade deli salads. Hill’s grandma, mom, and aunts made this broccoli and cauliflower salad long before Hill was born. The recipe has been passed down through generations and is now a year-round custom in Hill’s family.

The salad is made with mayonnaise, granulated sugar, white vinegar, broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, shredded mild yellow cheddar, cooked and crumbled bacon, and diced red onion. The recipe is simple and can be made in just 25 minutes, with the only cooking required being the crisping of the bacon.

Hill suggests starting with half of the dressing quantity and adding more after trying a taste. She also recommends swapping in raisins and shelled sunflower seeds if the bacon and cheese sound too rich.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.