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This easy Broccoli Salad Recipe is loaded up with bacon, cheese, and a sweet and tangy 3-ingredient salad dressing. We call it Piggly Wiggly salad in the Midwest, and it’s the ultimate year-round party side dish.
Meggan’s notes
Families throughout the Heartland have been making this recipe for potlucks, cook-outs, and tailgates for decades. Why? Because it’s the perfect side dish that everyone gobbles it up as soon as it hits the table. We will always be grateful to Piggly Wiggly, the grocery store chain that made this salad famous!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Broccoli and cauliflower: Use just broccoli or just cauliflower if you prefer. To make the prep even easier, buy a 2-pound bag of florets at the grocery store (you might have to chop them up a little bit).
- Bacon: Instead of cooking your own bacon, you can also use the pre-cooked, pre-crumbled bacon, as long as it’s REAL bacon. Once, I made the salad with half the amount called for (8 ounces) and the salad still had plenty of bacon.
- Mayonnaise: Pick the mayo that you’re used to eating. If you love Hellman’s or Best Foods, go with that. If you’re a Miracle Whip family, use that. Some calorie conscious cooks switch out half the mayo for plain Greek yogurt and absolutely love it.
- Vinegar. Old-fashioned white vinegar is just fine, but you can use cider vinegar or lemon juice, too.
Step-by-step instructions
- To make the dressing, In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar.
- In a large bowl, combine broccoli, cauliflower, onion, cheese, and bacon. Pour the dressing mixture, a little at a time, over the salad ingredients.
- Toss well until evenly coated and chill until serving time.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 6 cups of salad, enough for 12 servings, ½ cup each.
- Storage: Leftover Piggly Wiggly is just the best, maybe even better than the first day. Store leftover salad in an airtight container and use it within 4 days.
- Make ahead: In my opinion, broccoli salad is best when you cover it and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. Just like the deli at Piggly Wiggly!
- Freezer: Don’t do it! This salad does not freeze well.
- Lots of dressing: This recipe makes A LOT of dressing, probably more than you need. But this is how we do it! If calories or sugar or fat has ever crossed your mind, you can easily get away with making just half the dressing. You’ll still have plenty.
- Low-sugar dressing: If you’re familiar with low-calorie sweeteners, you should be able to switch out the sugar for a comparable amount of your favorite product: monk fruit, Swerve, or Splenda.
- Vegetarian: Now I know I emphasized using real bacon in the notes above, but if you’re eating a plant-based diet or cooking for a vegetarian, go ahead and make broccoli salad with smart/impossible/fake bacon.
- Yogurt dressing: Some folks make the dressing with less mayo, mixing in some Greek yogurt or light sour cream to make it creamier. That’s up to you!
- Optional ingredients: sunflower seeds, raisins, almonds, dried cranberries, grapes, cherry tomatoes and bell peppers are great additions. If anything sounds good, add it in! (Remember, the recipe makes a LOT of dressing, so you can go a little crazy with ingredients, if you’re feeling inspired.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I blanch the broccoli and blanch the cauliflower?
No, please don’t. It completely changes the texture and flavor of the salad.
Can I substitute frozen vegetables?
This isn’t going to work either. I think thawed-out frozen veggies change the consistency too much, just like blanching. You will need fresh broccoli florets and fresh cauliflower for this classic broccoli salad.
Can I use a food processor to speed up my prep?
I tried this a few years ago, and it turned my broccoli and cauliflower into a sloppy mess. Zero stars, do not recommend.
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Broccoli Salad Recipe
This easy Broccoli Salad recipe is loaded up with bacon, cheese, and a 3-ingredient sweet-and-tangy salad dressing. We call it Piggly Wiggly salad in the Midwest, and it's the ultimate year-round party side dish.
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets bite-sized, from 2 bunches (see note 1)
- 4 cups cauliflower florets bite-sized, from 1 head
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 pound bacon fried and crumbled (see note 2)
- 1 cup red onion diced
- 2 cups mayonnaise (see note 3)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
Instructions
- To make the dressing, In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, cauliflower, onion, cheese, and bacon.
- Pour dressing mixture to taste over the salad ingredients and toss well until evenly coated.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Broccoli and cauliflower: Use just broccoli or just cauliflower if you prefer. To make the prep even easier, buy a 2-pound bag of florets at the grocery store (you might have to chop them up a little bit).
- Bacon: Instead of cooking your own bacon, you can also use the pre-cooked, pre-crumbled bacon, as long as it’s REAL bacon. Once, I made the salad with half the amount called for (8 oz.) and the salad still had plenty of bacon.
- Mayonnaise: Pick the mayo that you’re used to eating. If you love Hellman’s or Best Foods, go with that. If you’re a Miracle Whip family, use that. Some calorie conscious cooks switch out half the mayo for plain Greek yogurt and absolutely love it.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 6 c. of salad, enough for 12 servings, ½ c. each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Some separation may occur, so stir to combine before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5 cupCalories: 418kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 11gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 513mgPotassium: 308mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 404IUVitamin C: 44mgCalcium: 162mgIron: 1mg
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This has become a family and extended family favorite. We have it at every family get together! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Paula, I’m so glad that it’s a family favorite with you! Thank you! 😀 -Meggan
Love this, I also add dried cranberries
I substituted Zevia for the sugar to make it low carb. Was fabulous.
Awesome and easy recipe! I added roasted and salted sunflower seeds to the salad, didn’t tweak the dressing because it’s the perfect blend of tangy sweet. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, salted sunflower seeds are SO GOOD here. Well I feel like, generally the recipe is either bacon + cheese or sunflower seeds + raisins. Everything else is the same. The raisins might be weird with cheese and bacon, but sunflower seeds certainly are not. Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you Catherine!
This is really good =) We make it with swiss cheese as well as cheddar. And do a dressing with mayo, half & half or cream, apple cider vinegar & sugar. You can buy cauliflower pre-diced up now (“riced”) since people are so into using it in replacement recipes!
Thank you so much Breeze! And yes to the cauliflower rice, that is basically the most useful thing ever. I love the idea of a creamier dressing with the half and half too. Thanks and I’m glad you like it!
We have a dairy sensitive family member, so I substituted halved grapes for the cheese, and Apple cider vinegar was all we had…but wow, your recipe is yummy! I bet even better with the cheese… thank you so much!
Hi Meggan , Hmmm sunflower seeds sound really good. A little nutty salty flavor with added crunch! I will give that a try, thanks have a great weekend. Easter dinners at 3, LOL!
This is a really good recipe. I love all the flavors together and sometimes I put in white raisins ,maybe about three quarter cup. Some people don’t like raisins but I find it a very nice variation to use. This will be a perfect little salad on a few leaves of lettuce for my Easter dinner! Yum🦆🐣🌷🌷
I agree with you on raisins! Well, normally I either do the bacon/cheese combination OR raisins and sunflower seeds (the shelled ones). But yes. So good. I’m glad you like the recipe, and what time should I report for Easter dinner? LOL Just kidding! Have a great weekend Ellie.
Can I substitute poppyseed dressing for the mayo/vinegar/sugar concoction?
Hi Gloria, yes of course! You probably have a recipe in mind, but I have a great poppyseed dressing on my blog too if you need ideas. But yes, update the recipe however you see fit! Thanks.
Just finished making this w/o cauliflower. Used small container of plain Greek yogurt instead of all the mayo (only used about 2 Tbsp mayo), red wine vinegar, & about 1/4c spicy brown mustard, with a scant 1/2c white sugar. This turned out amazing!!!! Best broccoli salad ever! BTW, this is also a staple in the low country of South Carolina where I grew up!
Loved your idea of substituting the yogurt for the mayo! My son has an egg allergy and cannot enjoy any salads with mayo and misses out on so much. I personally love mayo but make a separate salad for him to enjoy. 😊