We’re kicking it old style as we speak 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 Traditional Salad Recipe
- Stunner. In terms of presentation, conventional 7 layer salad is a show-stealer. Each stunning layer stands out.
- Enjoyable and Completely different. Layer salad shouldn’t be tossed; friends use lengthy tongs to achieve down by way of the salad from the highest and seize a few of each layer. It’s surprising and pleasant.
- Cool and Refreshing. A salad you stack in an ideal massive trifle bowl may sound odd, however with that cool lettuce and creamy dressing, at a sizzling 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 splendid for entertaining.
- Retro (in a Good Approach). In case you grew up within the Midwest, seeing a “salad” that incorporates extra bacon, eggs, cheese, and mayo than precise greens in all probability gained’t shock you (proper this option 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, different flavors and textures, and its crowd-pleasing substances (cheese, bacon, and eggs, anybody?).
What constitutes every of the seven layers varies.
In truth, even “conventional” sources for a layered salad recipe (Kraft, Betty Crocker, Pioneer Girl) don’t solely agree.
The beneath relies on the 7 layer salad my household had at potlucks rising up.
In case you’re a longtime lover of layer salad, I do know you’ll admire the recent take I’ve on it right here.
- I swapped the iceberg lettuce for extra flavorful and nutritious romaine.
- I added further veggies for shade and crunch.
- The normally bland dressing is amped up with Parmesan and garlic.
For individuals who admire 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 lower down on the bacon a little bit. 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 substances.
- For cheese, this recipe opts for an additional sharp cheddar. You may get away with much less however nonetheless have the full-on style impact.
Learn how to Make 7 Layer Salad
The Substances
- Romaine. Crisp, cool, and durable, romaine is the best selection for this salad. Its texture can stand as much as the hefty load of different substances and gained’t turn into soggy as rapidly.
- Bacon. Crispy, smoky bacon is a must have element of this salad. Bacon additionally helps make this salad extra filling. You can also swap the bacon for diced ham for the same impact.
- Laborious 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 even swap inexperienced onions, no must soak.
- Tomatoes. Juicy cherry tomatoes add an exquisite sweetness to the salad and style incredible with the eggs and bacon.
- Frozen Peas. A straightforward 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 substances.
- 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 a little bit candy.
The Instructions
- Get Prepared. Cook dinner the bacon, hard-boil the eggs, and soak the purple onion.
- Make the Dressing. It will likely 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. It will likely be a thick layer.
- Add the Good Stuff. Bacon and shredded cheese.
- Chill. For no less than 1 hour. Then ENJOY!
Storage Suggestions
- 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, prepare dinner the bacon, and soak/chop the purple onion. You can even 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 Suggestions 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 prepare dinner good, crispy bacon.
- Don’t Skip the Eggs and Bacon. Sadly, I wouldn’t suggest making this a vegan or vegetarian 7 layer salad, because the bacon and onerous boiled eggs are actually what make the salad style its greatest.
- Get Forward. This salad is simple, however it has a whole lot of parts. Save your self some stress and onerous boil the eggs the day earlier than. (Advisable methodology: Instant Pot Laborious Boiled Eggs.)
For the Salad:
- 8 ounces center-cut bacon
- 4 massive 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 further sharp cheddar cheese use yellow cheddar for probably the most shade 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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Laborious boil the eggs: Deliver a medium pot of salted water to a boil. With a slotted spoon, gently decrease the eggs into the boiling water. Regulate the warmth to keep up a delicate, regular simmer. Let the eggs simmer at this low, light boil for 8 minutes for barely jammy yolks (or prepare dinner as much as 9 minutes for totally set yolks). Within the meantime, put together a big ice bathtub. Use the slotted spoon to fastidiously switch the eggs to the ice bathtub. 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 regulate 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 no less than 1 hour (or in a single day).
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To serve, use lengthy salad tongs or an analogous lengthy spoon that can can help you attain down by way of the layers. Ensure that every serving has a little bit of all the pieces.
- TIP: Relying upon the scale 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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Regularly Requested Questions
I believe the most effective dish for a 7 layer salad is a trifle bowl (like this one). In case you don’t personal a trifle bowl, any massive, flat-bottomed clear glass bowl (like this enjoyable choice) will work wonderful.
To hurry up the prep time for this salad, you should buy onerous boiled eggs from the grocery retailer.
Personally, I believe ranch dressing by itself could 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. In case you’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.
