We’re kicking it old-fashioned right now with a Southern favourite that was a staple at our gatherings rising up: 7 Layer Salad. Made with lettuce, peas, tomatoes, bacon, a candy mayo-based dressing, cheddar cheese, and hard-boiled eggs all layered collectively, it stars at any potluck or vacation.
Why You’ll Love This Basic Salad Recipe
- Stunner. On the subject of presentation, conventional 7 layer salad is a show-stealer. Each stunning layer stands out.
- Enjoyable and Totally different. Layer salad just isn’t tossed; company use lengthy tongs to succeed in down by way of the salad from the highest and seize a few of each layer. It’s sudden and pleasant.
- Cool and Refreshing. A salad you stack in an incredible huge trifle bowl may sound odd, however with that cool lettuce and creamy dressing, at a scorching summer time potluck or a feast, it hits the spot.
- Make-Forward Pleasant. 7 layer salad could be made the evening earlier than, so it’s best for entertaining.
- Retro (in a Good Method). If you happen to grew up within the Midwest, seeing a “salad” that incorporates extra bacon, eggs, cheese, and mayo than precise greens most likely received’t shock you (proper this approach to Wholesome Potato Salad, Ramen Salad, and Shrimp Pasta Salad when you please). It’s a nostalgic throwback that hits the spot!
About This 7 Layer Salad Recipe
Seven-layer salad is a well-liked potluck and picnic dish, because of its visually interesting layers, assorted flavors and textures, and its crowd-pleasing components (cheese, bacon, and eggs, anybody?).
What constitutes every of the seven layers varies.
In reality, even “conventional” sources for a layered salad recipe (Kraft, Betty Crocker, Pioneer Lady) don’t fully agree.
The beneath relies on the 7 layer salad my household had at potlucks rising up.
If you happen to’re a longtime lover of layer salad, I do know you’ll recognize the recent take I’ve on it right here.
- I swapped the iceberg lettuce for extra flavorful and nutritious romaine.
- I added additional veggies for colour and crunch.
- The often bland dressing is amped up with Parmesan and garlic.
For many who recognize their salads on the lighter/extra wholesome aspect, you’ll love my model too.
- As a substitute of mayo (or Miracle Whip) and sugar within the dressing, I used Greek yogurt and honey.
- I minimize down on the bacon just a little. The unique requires a full pound, which (belief me, I by no means thought I’d say this) actually was an excessive amount of. It disrupted the concord of the opposite components.
- For cheese, this recipe opts for an additional sharp cheddar. You will get away with much less however nonetheless have the full-on style impact.
Tips on how to Make 7 Layer Salad
The Elements
- Romaine. Crisp, cool, and durable, romaine is the perfect alternative for this salad. Its texture can stand as much as the hefty load of different components and received’t grow to be soggy as shortly.
- Bacon. Crispy, smoky bacon is a must have part of this salad. Bacon additionally helps make this salad extra filling. You can also swap the bacon for diced ham for the same impact.
- Onerous Boiled Eggs. A creamy complement to the crispy bacon. The eggs add wealthy taste, protein, and wholesome fat.
- Crimson Onion. Soaking the purple onion in water first removes its harshness, leaving only a trace of chew. You can too swap inexperienced onions, no have to soak.
- Tomatoes. Juicy cherry tomatoes add a beautiful sweetness to the salad and style unbelievable with the eggs and bacon.
- Frozen Peas. A simple approach so as to add extra veggies. Whereas not everybody loves inexperienced peas in salad, right here they work.
- Further Sharp Cheddar Cheese. The daring, tacky taste of additional sharp cheddar doesn’t get misplaced amongst the opposite components.
- Greek Yogurt Dressing. A easy mixture of Greek yogurt, Parmesan, honey (my swap for white sugar), apple cider vinegar, salt, and garlic powder. It’s creamy, tacky, tangy, salty, and just a little candy.
The Instructions
- Get Prepared. Cook dinner the bacon, hard-boil the eggs, and soak the purple onion.
- Make the Dressing. Will probably be thick and creamy.
- Layer the Greens. They make the recent base.
- Add Some Coloration. Tomatoes and purple onions add a fairly stripe.
- Layer the Peas and Eggs. It’s lookin’ purty!
- Smear the Dressing Over the Prime. Will probably be a thick layer.
- Add the Good Stuff. Bacon and shredded cheese.
- Chill. For a minimum of 1 hour. Then ENJOY!
Storage Ideas
- To Retailer. Cowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate leftover salad for as much as 2 days.
Meal Prep Tip
As much as 1 day upfront, onerous boil the eggs, cook dinner the bacon, and soak/chop the purple onion. You can too chop the tomatoes and romaine and shred the cheddar cheese. Refrigerate every ingredient till you’re prepared to complete the recipe.
What to Serve with 7 Layer Salad
Recipe Ideas and Methods
- Play Round. Use this recipe as a place to begin and be happy to swap in different greens (or do greater than 7 layers!). For instance, you are able to do a 7 layer salad with cauliflower florets, broccoli, celery, cucumber, corn, purple bell peppers, and even avocado!
- Get that Bacon Crispy. You need it so as to add some good crunch. See Baked Bacon within the Oven and Air Fryer Bacon for simple strategies to cook dinner excellent, crispy bacon.
- Don’t Skip the Eggs and Bacon. Sadly, I wouldn’t advocate making this a vegan or vegetarian 7 layer salad, because the bacon and onerous boiled eggs are actually what make the salad style its finest.
- Get Forward. This salad is simple, nevertheless it has plenty of parts. Save your self some stress and onerous boil the eggs the day earlier than. (Beneficial technique: Instant Pot Onerous Boiled Eggs.)
For the Salad:
- 8 ounces center-cut bacon
- 4 giant eggs
- 2/3 cup chopped purple onion
- 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce from about 2 romaine hearts (12 ounces chopped romaine)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 (10-ounce) bundle frozen peas thawed
- 2/3 cup freshly shredded additional sharp cheddar cheese use yellow cheddar for essentially the most colour distinction
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Cook dinner and crumble or chop the bacon (see Baked Bacon within the Oven and Air Fryer Bacon for simple strategies). Place the purple onion in a small bowl and canopy with chilly water. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
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Onerous boil the eggs: Convey a medium pot of salted water to a boil. With a slotted spoon, gently decrease the eggs into the boiling water. Modify the warmth to keep up a mild, regular simmer. Let the eggs simmer at this low, light boil for 8 minutes for barely jammy yolks (or cook dinner as much as 9 minutes for totally set yolks). Within the meantime, put together a big ice tub. Use the slotted spoon to fastidiously switch the eggs to the ice tub. Gently crack the shells with the again of the spoon, then return them to the water (this makes them simpler to peel). Peel and chop.
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Put together the dressing: in a medium bowl, stir collectively the Greek yogurt, Parmesan, honey, vinegar, salt, and garlic powder. Style and alter seasoning as desired.
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Place the romaine within the backside of a LARGE, flat, clear serving bowl—you need to have the ability to see the layers and unfold them evenly; a trifle bowl works nicely when you’ve got one.
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Subsequent, construct the salad layers, spreading every evenly. Begin with the tomatoes and purple onions.
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Add the peas and eggs.
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Unfold the dressing evenly excessive. Layer on the cheese, then the bacon. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour (or in a single day).
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To serve, use lengthy salad tongs or an analogous lengthy spoon that can permit you to attain down by way of the layers. Be certain that every serving has just a little of all the pieces.
- TIP: Relying upon the dimensions of your serving bowl, it’s possible you’ll want to regulate the portions of every layer. Use your judgment and have enjoyable with it.
- TO STORE: Cowl and refrigerate leftover 7 layer salad for as much as 2 days. Any unused dressing could also be saved for 2-3 days within the fridge in an hermetic container or mason jar.
Serving: 1(of 10)Energy: 236kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 13gFats: 15gSaturated Fats: 6gPolyunsaturated Fats: 2gMonounsaturated Fats: 6gTrans Fats: 0.04gLdl cholesterol: 94mgPotassium: 404mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3947IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 164mgIron: 2mg
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Incessantly Requested Questions
I feel the very best dish for a 7 layer salad is a trifle bowl (like this one). If you happen to don’t personal a trifle bowl, any giant, flat-bottomed clear glass bowl (like this enjoyable possibility) will work high-quality.
To hurry up the prep time for this salad, you should buy onerous boiled eggs from the grocery retailer.
Personally, I feel ranch dressing by itself can be too skinny for a seven layer salad, which wants a dressing thick sufficient to face as its personal layer with out dripping into the leaves. If you happen to’d like a ranch model, use this Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip for the dressing, or stir a tablespoon or two from a packet of ranch seasoning into Greek yogurt or bitter cream and use it because the dressing.
