7 Layer Salad
7 Layer Salad (aka Overnight Salad) is one of the most popular potluck dishes for picnics, a BBQ side for cookouts, or a summer side dish.
Servings: 12
Calories: 338kcal
Ingredients
Dressing
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Salad Layers
- 2 cups iceberg and or romaine lettuce
- 6 eggs hard boiled chopped
- 12 slices bacon crumbled
- 6 green onions
- 2 cups tomatoes sliced grape tomatoes or regular
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese
- 1 cup frozen petite peas
Instructions
Make The Dressing
- Mix the Seven Layer dressing: ½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
- You will need a deep large glass bowl like a salad bowl or a trifle bowl. An inexpensive clear plastic salad bowl will work well too.
- Cook the bacon until crispy. Boil the eggs and peel them. Chop the tomatoes, green onions, grate the cheddar cheese.
- LAYER 1: Finely chop the lettuce and place it in the bottom of the bowl. PRO TIP: Use extra ingredients toward the outside edge of the glass bowl which makes it a pretty salad.
- LAYER 2: Slice 2 or 3 eggs into long quarters and position facing out of the bowl, then finely chop the rest of the eggs and sprinkle on top of the lettuce. PRO TIP: Use a large spoon to gently press down the layer to keep it flat, this helps you build the layers.
- LAYER 3: Place the crumbled bacon on next, and smooth gently with the back of a spoon.
- LAYER 4: Sprinkle on the green onions, and spread them around using the spoon to smooth out that layer.
- LAYER 5: Now, place the chopped tomatoes on and adjust and smooth them out using a large spoon.
- LAYER 6: Sprinkle on the grated cheddar cheese, and be generous! Everyone loves the cheese.
- LAYER 7: Now the frozen petite peas go on, try to make the layer even, and smooth with your large spoon.
3 Ingredient Dressing Layer
- Use a small spatula, offset spatula, or bread knife to spread the dressing on top, and take it the edge of the glass bowl. This helps to keep the ingredients chilled and the dressing won't drip down, it is thick enough to stay on top until the next day.
- Cover with plastic wrap and seal the salad well. Chill in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Garnish with more bacon, cheese, green onions, or egg if you wish. Toss and serve, or let people dig in!
Video
Notes
Top Seven Layer Salad Tips
- Chop the ingredients fairly the same size, to help them lay flat and get even layers.
- As you build the layers, use a large spoon to gently press each layer flat.
- Use more ingredients toward the edge of the glass bowl, that's the pretty part. It's ok if you don't have enough to completely cover the layer, just build the outside ring that people see.
- Precise measurements don't matter that much, I often swap out things I have on hand or try new combinations that sound good.
- The BEST part of this potluck wonder is that it really stays crunchy for up to 24 hours, just spread the dressing to the edge of the dish.
Layered Salad Swaps
Lettuce: besides romaine and iceberg, people love fresh spinach, baby spring mix, or butter lettuce. Meats: diced chicken or turkey, sliced salami or pepperoni, shredded rotisserie chicken, or sliced ham. Cheeses: white cheddar, pepper jack cheese, or Colby cheese would all be delicious. A sprinkle of parmesan cheese is nice too. Vegetables: grilled, fresh or sauteed corn, sugar snap peas, broccoli, celery, mushrooms, cauliflower, red onion, shredded carrots, cucumbers, red bell pepper, avocados, or green or black olives. Dressings: Green Goddess, Ranch Dressing, or a Lemon Vinaigrette. Add these to the salads right before serving to avoid wilting the salad as they are too thin, unlike the traditional 3 ingredient dressing for this recipe. Garnishes: you can decorate the top of the salad and sprinkle more cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, chopped eggs, or fresh herbs like chives and dill.Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 477mg | Sodium: 361mg | Potassium: 321mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1905IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 194mg | Iron: 3mg