This colorful dish takes the classic Broccoli Bacon Salad to a whole new level with sweet candied bacon, golden raisins and a healthy creamy dressing ~ by Serena Ball, MS,RD

{Disclosure: As co-owners of The Recipe ReDux, we were compensated to manage the California Raisin contest. We are not eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. Thoughts and opinions are my own.}

Are you potluck proud?

Do you bring a dish to a holiday party potluck or family dinner with little recipe title cards on your personal stationery? Or do you bring something in a nondescript recyclable dish – hoping that no one will know its yours?

Well, I promise this re-make of the classic Broccoli Bacon Salad is sweet, savory and a holiday-worthy side that will have you boldly carrying in your dish-to-pass.

From a young age, my kids learned that potlucks are a very good thing. If they help me make a dish, they will have ample opportunity to go around bragging “I made the that salad! Isn’t it yummy?” Then they wait for the praise and admiration to shower down upon them.

Potluck proud?

This time of year, most of us will be hosting or bringing a dish to a holiday party or dinner.  That’s why this dish – and any dish with more fruits and veggies – and less sugar can be a welcome option at the party –> and using California raisins as an ingredient fits the bill:

• Just 1/4 cup of raisins = 1 serving of fruit
• Naturally sweet, they can be used as a healthy sweetener for sweet dishes, or add sparkle to savory ones

The California Raisin Marketing Board challenged our Recipe ReDux members to go “Naturally Sweet for the Holidays” and come up with festive dishes. And this salad is certainly festive…and one that will make you holiday potluck proud: It’s red and green and a bit sweet. Yet the only sugar is a sprinkle on absolutely-to-die-for candied Brown Sugar Praline Bacon. The rest of the sweetness comes from a double dose of golden California raisins: Pureed into the tart, creamy dressing and sprinkled in to add more color to the salad.

Praline Brown Sugar Bacon – SO GOOD!

So, get out your personalized stationery and practice your calligraphy; you will want to proudly own up to bringing this dish at your next get-together.

Praline Bacon and Broccoli Salad with Raisins

This colorful dish takes the classic Broccoli Bacon Salad to a whole new level with sweet candied bacon, golden raisins and a healthy creamy dressing.

• Author: by Serena Ball, RD
• Yield: 6 servings - or about 8-10 potluck servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3/4 cup golden California Raisins, divided
• 1 bunch fresh broccoli, trimmed into florets (or 10–12 ounce bag) and chopped/peeled pieces of stem
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup whipped salad dressing or mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3–4 slices of Brown Sugar Praline Bacon, chopped
• BROWN SUGAR PRALINE BACON Ingredients
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup ground almonds
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard – or if you have time: Mustard seeds freshly crushed in mortar & pestle
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 pieces thicker-cut bacon – center cut if possible

Instructions

1. About 30 minutes (or the day before,) prepare Brown Sugar Praline Bacon using recipe below.
2. Place 1/4 cup raisins in a small bowl; pour 1/2 cup boiling water over raisins and place a small plate on top. Let soften for 15 minutes.
3. In a large pot, bring enough water to cover broccoli to a rolling boil. Dump in broccoli and let blanch for just 1 minute total. (No need to wait for water to come back to a boil.) Immediately remove broccoli to a large serving bowl; set aside.
4. Place softened raisins, and 1 tablespoon of the raisin soaking liquid in a small food processor or blender along with lemon juice; puree. Add salad dressing and salt; pulse to combine.
5. To bowl of broccoli, add bell pepper and Praline Bacon. Pour dressing over salad; toss gently to combine.
6. BROWN SUGAR PRALINE BACON
7. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 2-piece roasting pan (tray on top with holes, drip pan below) heavily with cooking spray (to avoid messy clean-up); set aside
8. Combine all ingredients except bacon on large dinner plate. Dip and press each slice of bacon in sugar mixture on both sides. Lay bacon strips on prepared roasting pan. Sprinkle additional sugar mixture over bacon slices in pan.
9. Roast bacon until fat begins to melt, about 6 minutes. Rotate pan front-to-back and continue roasting until bacon is desired doneness, about 8 to 10 minutes depending on if you want chewy or crisp bacon. Remove, cool.

Notes

Brown Sugar Praline Bacon adapted from this recipe via this Wisconsin Cheese Council

Take the extra 1-minute step to blanch the broccoli. Both pieces on the right were blanched.

So do tell…what are you proud to bring to a potluck? Any potluck disasters? (:

Check out other Recipe ReDux members’ recipes below that are naturally sweet with California Raisins: