Layered Cauliflower Salad

This post will highlight my Midwestern roots.  That's right, this city girl was raised in Indiana (Go Hoosiers!).  While the city is great there are some things about the mid-west that just can't be replicated anywhere else.  Mainly, the block parties.  I loved the food at block parties.  Everyone brought their favorite dish and we would all munch away on any number of amazing side dishes.  While I had tons of favorites growing up the one that never went out of fashion was my mom's layered cauliflower salad.

Growing up in a close neighborhood was amazing.  I knew everyone that lived nearby and had tons of friends to play with.  Nearly every Friday night we all met up at someone's house and while our parents sipped wine on the back patio we played football, flashlight tag, or street hockey.  And while this would be difficult to achieve in a high-rise apartment, making this salad... is not.  So this Easter I shared this salad with some friends and between ham, salad, and Easter egg hunts I felt like I was right back at home! :)

This salad is super easy to make and truly delicious.  Even as kids we would happily eat our veggies if they came in the form of this salad (I'm sure the bacon and sweet dressing helped!).  This salad makes A TON of food however.  And when I moved out and made it for myself the very first time I quickly realized that it was not to be made for one person (unless you want to eat cauliflower morning, noon, and night for a few days). I did, however, discover that this could be easily adapted for one.  You see all the ingredients can be found at the salad bar in the grocery!  So I would buy a few chunks of cauliflower, a bit of onion, some iceberg lettuce, peas, bacon, and Parmesan.  When I arrived home I would throw together the dressing and layer up the salad and have one happy little serving all to myself!

So don't feel like you can't have this delicious and healthy salad if you don't have an entire block to feed! :)

Ingredients

yields 12-14 servings, unless you try my salad bar trick above and make just one! ;)

1 head cauliflower, chopped

1 head ice burger lettuce, chopped

2 small onions, sliced into very thin rings

1 8oz package frozen peas, do not cook

1/3 lbs bacon, cooked and chopped

1 cup mayo (or Miracle Whip)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 t. salt

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Fresh pepper

Directions

1) Wash and rinse the cauliflower and lettuce.  Break the cauliflower into small florets.  Chop the lettuce into strips (think like the lettuce on Taco Bell tacos) :).

2) Slice the onion into very thin rings.  Chop the bacon into small pieces.

3) Mix the mayo, sugar, and salt together in a small bowl.

4) In a large serving bowl layer the salad.  Place all the cauliflower in first.  Then the lettuce, the onions, and finally sprinkle on the frozen peas (they will thaw on top of the salad).  Pour the mayo mixture on top.  Sprinkle the chopped bacon on top of the mayo and finally the Parmesan cheese.

5) Place the salad in the refrigerator for 1 hour to set; it can stay in the refrigerator overnight if you feel like making it the day before.  Top with fresh black pepper just before serving.