The nostalgic Midwestern salad that deserves a comeback this summer

(CNN) — On the eve of the nation’s 250th anniversary, families and friends across the United States are preparing to mark the holiday with a summer cookout. A potluck salad that’s been a showstopper at Meggan Hill’s family gatherings for more than 50 years should be on your picnic table. The creamy side dish is sure to get your guests’ taste buds fired up.

“Midwestern food is often judged or almost dismissed because some of the classic recipes include a fair amount of mayonnaise. … They deserve more attention though, if you ask me,” said Hill, a food blogger and author of “The Culinary Hill Cookbook: Modern Home Cooking With a Midwestern Heart,” released June 16. “Not because we’re trying to impress anyone. Just because we’re trying to feed them well and hopefully leave them with a happy memory — or at least happy taste buds.”

Rich with mayonnaise and cheddar cheese and flavored with bacon, the nostalgic broccoli and cauliflower salad will convert even those with a strong dislike for veggies. As a Midwestern celebration food, it’s a side that should be enjoyed when the occasion calls for something more indulgent.

For Hill, a Wisconsin native, food was the centerpiece of every gathering while she was growing up.

“I have core memories around food, like trying raw mushrooms with dill dip for the first time at a neighborhood block party. It was love at first bite,” Hill told CNN. “Thanksgiving was — and still is — about the food. Birthday parties are about the food. People gather around the table, and those memories are so vivid.”

The inspiration behind the salad was Piggly Wiggly, a grocery store chain that was “an early pioneer of premade deli salads,” according to Hill. Her grandma, mom and aunts made this broccoli and cauliflower salad long before Hill was born. However, she was able to try it from the supermarket itself in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, during annual summer camping trips on Lake Michigan.

“It was a summer tradition,” Hill said. And now, it’s a year-round custom. “A party isn’t complete — even at Christmas when you wouldn’t think a chilled salad like this would fit on the buffet. … My family can’t get enough of it, and I still make it for every holiday to this day. In fact, I’m making it this weekend. It’s crunchy, creamy, salty, sweet and to us, it’s familiar. It hits all the notes and is a great standby.”

Midwestern foods hark back to a simpler time

Even though her parents “weren’t big cooks,” Hill found herself drawn to cooking and baking in high school. “I love eating, so my passion for cooking comes naturally,” she said.

Hill began crowdsourcing recipes from friends and family members while studying communications at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. By 2010, that project transformed into a tiny spiral-bound self-published cookbook. Hill said it was “like the kind you might see at a church or school fundraiser. That was the original ‘Culinary Hill Cookbook.’ I printed 100 copies and gave them away to everyone whose recipes were mentioned,” she said.

Aiming to share these treasured dishes more widely, she launched a food blog focused on Midwestern recipes that feel like home. Today, Culinary Hill has grown into a site that’s 1,379 recipes strong, including classics such as sloppy joes and slow cooker meatballs with grape jelly sauce.

Hill honed her skills in 2016 by enrolling at the College of the Canyons Institute for Culinary Education in Santa Clarita, California. That classic training is evident in her meticulously tested and thoughtfully explained recipes. In Hill’s new book, you will find plenty of spot-on restaurant copycats, no-sweat backyard barbecue dishes — and yes, a few mayo-based comfort foods for good measure.

Although the mom of three has lived in California for 15 years, Hill said she feels more connected than ever to the Midwest through these recipes. Frequent visits to Wisconsin to share quality time — as well as scotcheroos and ham roll-ups — with her family (including Calvin, 14, Charlotte, 11, and Julian, 6) help keep her grounded to her roots.

If you decide to add the broccoli and cauliflower salad to your menu, Hill suggested starting with half of the dressing quantity below, adding more after you try a taste.

“I often only use half, but my family said I absolutely could not print it without their preferred quantity of mayo,” she said with a laugh. “Also, if you feel like bacon and cheese sounds too rich, you can swap in raisins and shelled sunflower seeds.”

You have Hill’s permission to make this creamy salad recipe your own. Because these are your memories, and you can make new ones starting now.

“I think Midwestern salads are having a renaissance because people are searching for the dishes they remember,” Hill said. Or folks are craving some grounding in a simpler time. Done in just 25 minutes — crisping the bacon is the only cooking required — this salad is simply perfect for picnics and potlucks.

Nostalgic Midwestern Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

If you’re crunched for time, feel free to swap in bacon bits.

Yield: 12 ½-cup servings

Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

● 2 cups mayonnaise

● 1 cup granulated sugar

● ¼ cup white vinegar

● 4 cups bite-size broccoli florets, from 2 bunches

● 4 cups bite-size cauliflower florets, from 1 head

● 2 cups shredded mild yellow cheddar

● 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled

● 1 small red onion, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

Instructions

• Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar.
• In a large bowl, combine broccoli, cauliflower, cheese, bacon and onion.
• Pour dressing mixture to taste over the salad ingredients and toss well until evenly coated.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Some separation may occur, so stir to combine before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

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Recipe adapted from “The Culinary Hill Cookbook: Modern Home Cooking With a Midwestern Heart” by Meggan Hill. Copyright © 2026 by Meggan Hill. Published by Culinary Hill Inc.