We’re kicking it old style in the present day 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. In relation to presentation, conventional 7 layer salad is a show-stealer. Each lovely layer stands out.
- Enjoyable and Totally different. Layer salad shouldn’t be tossed; friends use lengthy tongs to achieve down via 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 a terrific large may sound odd, however with that cool lettuce and creamy dressing, at a sizzling summer season potluck or a feast, it hits the spot.
- Make-Forward Pleasant. 7 layer salad may be made the night time earlier than, so it’s superb for entertaining.
- Retro (in a Good Manner). In case you grew up within the Midwest, seeing a “salad” that comprises extra bacon, eggs, cheese, and mayo than precise greens in all probability received’t shock you (proper this technique to , , and for those who 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 actual fact, even “conventional” sources for a layered salad recipe (Kraft, Betty Crocker, Pioneer Girl) don’t fully agree.
The under 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 respect the contemporary take I’ve on it right here.
- I swapped the iceberg lettuce for extra flavorful and nutritious romaine.
- I added additional veggies for shade and crunch.
- The often bland dressing is amped up with Parmesan and garlic.
For many who respect their salads on the lighter/extra wholesome facet, you’ll love my model too.
- As an alternative of mayo (or Miracle Whip) and sugar within the dressing, I used Greek yogurt and honey.
- I minimize down on the bacon somewhat. 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 will get away with much less however nonetheless have the full-on style impact.
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 substances and received’t change 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.
- Arduous Boiled Eggs. A creamy complement to the crispy bacon. The eggs add wealthy taste, protein, and wholesome fat.
- Purple Onion. Soaking the purple onion in water first removes its harshness, leaving only a trace of chunk. You can too swap inexperienced onions, no have to soak.
- Tomatoes. Juicy cherry tomatoes add a beautiful sweetness to the salad and style incredible 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.
- Additional 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 somewhat candy.
The Instructions
- Get Prepared. Prepare 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 contemporary base.
- Add Some Shade. Tomatoes and purple onions add a fairly stripe.
- Layer the Peas and Eggs. It’s lookin’ purty!
- Smear the Dressing Over the High. It will likely be a thick layer.
- Add the Good Stuff. Bacon and shredded cheese.
- Chill. For not less than 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 prematurely, 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 at liberty 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 and for straightforward strategies to cook 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 finest.
- Get Forward. This salad is simple, but it surely has a variety of parts. Save your self some stress and onerous boil the eggs the day earlier than. (Beneficial methodology: I.)
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 probably the most shade distinction
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Prepare dinner and crumble or chop the bacon (see and for straightforward 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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Arduous boil the eggs: Carry 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 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 modify 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 have 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 not less than 1 hour (or in a single day).
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To serve, use lengthy salad tongs or the same lengthy spoon that can let you attain down via the layers. Make sure that every serving has somewhat of all the things.
- TIP: Relying upon the scale of your serving bowl, you might 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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Ceaselessly Requested Questions
I believe the most effective dish for a 7 layer salad is a trifle bowl (like ). In case you don’t personal a trifle bowl, any giant, flat-bottomed clear glass bowl (like ) 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 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. In case you’d like a ranch model, use this 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.