📖 Instructions

1. First, let's tackle the bacon. Cut 6 ounces of thick-cut bacon into 1/2-inch pieces. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until it's nice and crispy. Seriously, don't skimp on the crispiness here. It's crucial to the salad's texture and taste. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and set it aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Leave about a tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan – we'll use that later.
2. Now, let's prep the broccoli. Cut 1 large head of broccoli into bite-sized florets. Aim for roughly uniform sizes – you want everything to cook evenly. Steam or blanch the broccoli until it's tender-crisp, about 3-5 minutes. Don't overcook it; you still want some nice texture in the final salad.
3. While the broccoli is still warm, toss it in the bacon grease that you set aside. This adds flavor and helps to keep the broccoli from getting soggy. Set it aside to cool slightly.
4. In a large bowl, combine the following: 1/2 cup mayonnaise (good quality matters here!), 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar (or maple syrup for a touch of sophistication), 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Whisk the dressing ingredients until they're smoothly combined and fully emulsified. This is your delicious, flavorful base.
5. Once the broccoli has cooled a bit, add it to the bowl with the dressing. Gently fold it in, ensuring that all of the florets are coated. Don't be too aggressive; we want to avoid turning this into broccoli mush.
6. Now, add the rest of the delicious ingredients. This includes: 1/2 cup dried cranberries (I prefer the tart ones!), 1/4 cup chopped red onion (finely chop this, as you don't want huge onion chunks), 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or substitute as mentioned in FAQs), and the crispy bacon you cooked earlier. Gently fold everything together. Again, this is not the time for aggressive mixing!
7. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. If you feel it needs a little more vinegar for tang, add it in. If it's too sweet, you can tone down the sugar. Seasoning is your art form here; make it your own.
8. Once you've achieved the perfect balance of flavor and texture, cover the salad and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld and the salad to chill. Patience, my friend, is key here. Serving it cold is way better. So resist the urge to eat it immediately... though it may be hard!