Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 8 ounces rotini pasta
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 6 slices crispy cooked bacon, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- 4 ounces block cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds salted or unsalted
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, and granulated sugar. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Cook the rotini pasta until al dente. Once cooked, transfer it to a baking sheet using a spider strainer.
- In the same pot of simmering water, add the broccoli florets and cook for 1 minute. Then, use the spider strainer to transfer the broccoli to an ice bath to halt the cooking process.
- In a large serving bowl, combine the drained pasta, broccoli, chopped bacon, red onion, cheddar cheese, and sunflower seeds. Drizzle with the prepared dressing and toss to coat.
Notes
For extra crunch, consider adding more sunflower seeds.
Feel free to substitute the cheddar cheese with your favorite cheese variety.
This salad can be made a day in advance for convenience.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.