by Kelly J. Larson

Broccoli salad has all the flavor — bacon, broccoli, cashews, golden raisins, onion and a dressing of mayonnaise with apple cider vinegar to make a very satisfying side or small meal. This recipe can be made in advance and stored in nine easy to grab containers for lunch or a snack on the go. I like to cut the bacon stack before cooking it in a skillet so that I don’t need to crumble it after it’s cooked.

Fresh broccoli is always better, but most of the time I just buy frozen broccoli florets and microwave it to thaw it before mixing everything together. After heating it in the bag for about two minutes, I cut the broccoli into smaller pieces.

The jars or containers of broccoli salad will last about five or six days in the refrigerator and stay fresh.

It’s so simple to make. Just cook the bacon, chop the onion, mix the apple cider vinegar with the mayo, then toss everything together and you can dig right in.

Broccoli Salad

• 24 ounces frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• 12 ounces Oscar Mayer center cut bacon
• 1 cup cashews
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Keep bacon together, then slice through the stack to cut into strips. Place bacon in a large skillet and separate pieces as it cooks. Continue stirring and cook until crispy. Remove bacon with a large slotted spoon and transfer onto a paper towel to drain off excess grease.

Chop onion finely to get 1/3 cup. Defrost the broccoli and cut into smaller pieces. Mix the mayonnaise with the apple cider vinegar to make the dressing. Put prepared ingredients into a large bowl and toss gently to coat everything.

Refrigerate until serving. Serve cold.

Makes 9 servings, 376 calories each.