As salads go, this is probably one of the happiest salads I've ever had. Now, if you don't have time to cook up the bacon and crumble it, you can always take the stuff in a bag (bacon bits) and heat it on the stove to crisp it up. This could be a side for a large group. Also, you could prep the broccoli, cranberries, onion, cheese and red onion and seal it up in a bag for later a quick toss (it will freeze!)
- 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
- 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 tbsp sugar or another comparable sweetener
- 1 tsp pepper
- 4 cups chopped broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (you can use Swiss to lower sodium)
- 1/2 cup chopped smoked almonds
- 3 slices cooked, crumbled bacon (use lower sodium or turkey bacon)
- 1/8 cup finely chopped red onion
- Mix the mayo, vinegar, sweetener, and pepper until well combined.
- In a large bowl add the other things and toss them with the dressing
- Cover and chill anywhere from 1 hour - to 3 days before serving
NOTE: I would add the bacon right before serving. It just tastes better crisped.