Seven Layer Salad with Cheddar and Bacon

Seven layer salad brings crisp iceberg lettuce, peas, celery and sliced eggs together under a creamy dressing, shredded cheddar and crumbled bacon. It suits a potluck or any meal where you want the salad assembled ahead: prepare the layers, chill overnight, and finish with bacon just before serving. The detail to watch is the dressing, which needs to reach the edges to help keep the lettuce crisp.

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Ingredients for seven layer salad

Keep the ingredients separate as you prepare them so you can build the salad in the recipe’s order. The eggs should already be hard boiled, the peas thawed, and the bacon cooked and crumbled.

• 1 large head iceberg lettuce, chopped
• 2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 6 hard boiled eggs, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 cups shredded cheddar
• 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Spread the dressing all the way across

The dressing has a specific job in this salad. Whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream and sugar together before spreading it over the eggs. Mixing it separately lets you distribute the sugar throughout the creamy ingredients without disturbing the layers already in the dish.

As you spread, pay attention to the perimeter. The recipe calls for a seal that reaches all the way to the edges, so avoid leaving a border of exposed ingredients. A generous patch in the center does not finish the job if there are gaps along the sides.

Work gently over the sliced eggs. You want the dressing to cover the surface while keeping the ingredients underneath in place. Once the edges are covered, add the cheddar over the dressing and wrap the dish for its overnight chill.

Keep the bacon for the finish

Although the bacon is cooked and crumbled as part of the ingredient preparation, it goes onto the salad right before serving. Set it aside while you assemble the lettuce, vegetables, eggs, dressing and cheese. The overnight assembly ends with cheddar.

This order leaves the bacon as the final topping. If you are taking the salad to a potluck, keep that finishing step in mind when you organize what to bring. The salad beneath it should already be layered, covered and chilled.

Build the salad in order

The recipe gives 30 minutes of preparation plus an overnight chill and makes 10 servings. Have the chopped, diced, sliced and shredded ingredients ready before you start layering so you can move through the assembly without mixing the layers together.

• Spread the chopped iceberg lettuce in the bottom of the dish, distributing it across the base.
• Layer the thawed peas, diced celery, diced red onion and sliced hard boiled eggs over the lettuce, following that order.
• Whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream and sugar together. Spread the dressing over the eggs, taking it all the way to the edges to seal the salad.
• Cover the dressing with the shredded cheddar. Wrap the dish and chill overnight.
• Right before serving, sprinkle the cooked, crumbled bacon over the cheddar. Scoop straight down through the layers to serve.

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Bring the layers to the plate

Serve this salad by scooping straight down through the dish. That motion brings the lettuce up with the vegetables, eggs, dressing and toppings. Taking only a shallow scoop from the surface leaves the lettuce behind and gives the first portions too much of the cheese and dressing.

Keep the salad layered until serving instead of tossing it after chilling. Its assembly is part of how the recipe works, from the lettuce at the bottom to the dressing seal above the eggs. Add the bacon across the top before you begin portioning.

For making ahead, follow the overnight chilling instruction with the dish wrapped and the cheddar already in place. The source recipe gives no separate leftover storage duration or freezing directions, so those are not included here.

For more dishes to round out the table, try our Christmas salad with clementines, pomegranate and blue cheese , add cranberry Brie crostini to the appetizer plate, or serve this salad alongside skillet chicken fajitas with peppers and lime .

Before you assemble it

Why does the ingredient list have more than seven items?

The name describes the layered salad rather than a strict ingredient count. This version includes vegetables, eggs, a dressing made from mayonnaise, sour cream and sugar, cheddar and a bacon finish. Use the full ingredient list when gathering what you need.

Does the recipe specify a dish size?

No dish dimensions are given. Choose a dish that can hold the full recipe and allows you to spread the dressing across the surface to the edges. A specific pan size would be an addition to the source instructions.

Is the sugar sprinkled over the salad?

No. Whisk the sugar into the mayonnaise and sour cream before spreading the dressing. It belongs in that mixture, rather than in a separate layer over the vegetables or cheese.

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Written and edited by The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team

The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team writes and edits the recipes on Foodie Yummy: classic American potluck salads, holiday sides and easy comfort food, with a few low-carb options. Every recipe lists exact quantities, numbered steps and a printable recipe card, plus notes on swaps, storage and make-ahead timing. Spot a problem with a recipe? Tell us through the contact page and we will correct it. About us