7 Layer Salad
7 layer salad is a potluck favorite that’s always a crowd-pleaser! My tested-and-perfected recipe pairs a creamy, sweet, and tangy dressing with layers of lettuce, peas, hard-boiled eggs, cheese, bacon, and more.
Servings: 10
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 6 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped (about ½ large head or 1 small head)
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup diced red onion (about ¼ onion)
- 2 cups frozen peas (no need to thaw)
- 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese (coarsely shredded cheese works better than finely shredded)
- 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled or chopped
For the Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream (see important note)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Set aside.1 cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- In a large clear glass bowl with straight sides or trifle dish (see note), layer ingredients in the following order: lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peas, boiled eggs, dressing, and cheese.6 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped, 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved, ½ cup diced red onion, 2 cups frozen peas, 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped, 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Add bacon to the top of the salad immediately before serving.6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled or chopped
Video
Notes
- Sour cream: We highly recommend looking for a sour cream that has “cultured cream” as the only ingredient. We also tested this with a store-brand sour cream with a longer ingredient list (which interacted with other dressing ingredients) and the dressing was much thinner and didn’t stay on the top of the salad, affecting the taste and appearance.
- What kind of dish to use: You’ll want to use a clear glass dish that showcases the colorful layers of the salad. A large shallow bowl with straight sides or a trifle bowl work well. A good alternative is a 9 x 13 inch glass dish (baking dish). The salad is somewhat easier to serve from a 9 x 13 dish, so each serving includes all the layers. You can roughly cut the salad into squares with a spatula when you serve it in a 9 x 13 pan.
- Switch up the veggies: Celery, cucumber, sliced radishes, bell pepper are all tasty. If you prefer a lighter onion flavor, use green onions instead of red onion.
- Yield: This is a large salad that will serve between 8 to 12 people, depending on what it’s served with. It could potentially be a main course salad since it contains eggs, bacon, and cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 150mg | Sodium: 509mg | Potassium: 490mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1743IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 189mg | Iron: 2mg
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