Broccoli Salad: Classic Midwestern Recipe Becomes a Family Picnic Favorite
Food author Meggan Hill shares the creamy broccoli and cauliflower salad that has brought generations of families together at holidays, barbecues, and summer gatherings.
A classic broccoli and cauliflower salad served at a family picnic.
Broccoli Salad continues to win over generations of families as a beloved Midwestern classic, with food author and blogger Meggan Hill describing the creamy side dish as a must-have for picnics, potlucks, and holiday celebrations across the United States.
As Americans celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary with backyard barbecues and summer gatherings, Hill recommends her family’s broccoli and cauliflower salad, a recipe that has appeared on their table for more than five decades. The dish combines broccoli, cauliflower, cheddar cheese, bacon, and a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing to create a balance of crunchy, savoury, and slightly sweet flavours.
Hill, author of The Culinary Hill Cookbook: Modern Home Cooking With a Midwestern Heart, believes traditional Midwestern recipes deserve greater appreciation despite their reputation for using generous amounts of mayonnaise.
She says these dishes are not intended to impress guests but to make people feel welcome, well-fed, and surrounded by lasting family memories.
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The recipe traces its roots to the Piggly Wiggly grocery chain, one of the early pioneers of ready-made deli salads. Hill’s grandmother, mother, and aunts prepared the salad long before she was born, while family camping trips to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, made buying the supermarket version a cherished summer tradition.
Today, the salad remains a year-round favourite in Hill’s family, appearing not only at summer cookouts but also on holiday tables during celebrations such as Christmas. She describes it as a familiar comfort food that delivers a satisfying combination of creamy, crunchy, salty, and sweet flavours.
Although Hill has lived in California for the past 15 years, she says her Midwestern heritage continues to shape her cooking. She first began collecting treasured family recipes while studying communications at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, eventually publishing a small community cookbook before launching her popular Culinary Hill food blog.
Her latest cookbook features restaurant-inspired recipes, backyard barbecue favourites, and classic Midwestern comfort foods that reflect the traditions she grew up with.
For home cooks preparing the broccoli salad, Hill recommends starting with only half of the dressing before adding more to suit personal taste. She also suggests replacing the bacon and cheddar cheese with raisins and sunflower seeds for a lighter variation.
Hill believes nostalgic Midwestern recipes are enjoying renewed popularity as more people seek comforting dishes that remind them of family traditions and simpler times. Ready in about 25 minutes, the broccoli and cauliflower salad remains an easy, crowd-pleasing choice for picnics, potlucks, and festive gatherings.
