Crunchy Cauliflower/Pea Salad

A few days ago, I bought a head of cauliflower and a bunch of broccoli.  I used the broccoli since then, but the cauliflower was still sitting on the refrigerator shelf and glaring  pleading, "What about Me-e-e-e!?!?" I could think of several things to make with it, then went with something that took the least amount of preparation time, and didn't need baking.  Result?  This salad.  With so much being said about eating a variety of 'good for us foods', this one has quite a combination!  I think you could experiment quite a bit with this, putting in or leaving out things to suit your preference.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 head cauliflower, rinsed, trimmed and cut into small florets
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise (regular, or lite)
• 1/4 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing (regular, or lite)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard OR regular yellow mustard for a bit less bite.
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup frozen small green peas, thawed, but not cooked
• 1/4 cup dill pickles, finely chopped (1/4" pieces)
• 3 slices crisply cooked and crumbled bacon, (optional)  Use turkey bacon for less fat.
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup small cubes of cheddar cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse and trim cauliflower head, then divide florets into 'bite-sized' clumps.  Place cauliflower in a large saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and cook until just barely fork tender, about 7-8 minutes(?).  Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process.  Cool slightly.
2. Boil eggs, then cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Miracle Whip salad dressing, mustard, salt, and pepper. 
4. Add the boiled/chopped eggs, onion, peas, dill pickles, bacon pieces (optional), and/or cubed cheese (optional).  Blend well.
5. Add the cooked cauliflower florets, and stir gently until they are coated well.
6. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.  The longer the cauliflower salad chills, the better the flavors mix/blend.