Broccoli Salad

I receive the daily emails from Real Simple and Food Network featuring a recipe of the day.  I save a lot of them, but haven't tried most until this one.  It was going to be perfect for a barbecue we were going to on Saturday night to celebrate the 4th of July with food and fireworks.  It is a Paula Deen recipe, which surprisingly doesn't include butter :)  I loved that the dressing was light.  I don't like it when too much mayonnaise is used, and that is all you can taste.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 head broccoli

6-8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup raisins, optional

8 ounces sharp Cheddar, cut into very small chunks

1 cup mayonnaise (I used low-fat)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Trim off the large leaves from the broccoli stem.  Remove the tough stalk at the end, and wash broccoli head thoroughly.  Cut the head into flowerets and the stem into bite size pieces.  Place in a large bowl.  Add the crumbled bacon, onion, raisins if using, and cheese.  In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, stirring well.  Add to broccoli mixture and toss gently.