A make-ahead recipe for a Southern classic Easy 7 Layer Salad that’s perfect for large gatherings. Delicious layers of lettuce, sweet onion, green peas, hard boiled eggs are topped with a homemade dressing, cheddar cheese, and crispy bacon!
7 layer salad as an easy side dish
Need a delicious salad/side dish for a BBQ or cookout this coming weekend? Try this easy (and my family’s favorite) 7 layer salad recipe!
You can’t beat a good seven layer salad recipe. Recently, I made it to celebrate the end of my sugar detox.
After all, it looks healthy with all the multiple layers of fresh, raw veggies. Except it’s all slathered in a dressing made of white sugar and mayonnaise.
Yes, I just said white sugar and mayonnaise. Two ingredients that should never be mixed together in the same bowl and poured over perfectly fine, completely edible, raw vegetables.
The truth lies within the flavor of the creamy sweet mayonnaise dressing. It pairs perfectly with the crispness of the iceberg lettuce and the starchy pop of the green peas.
Additionally, the crunch of the raw onions with the tasty toppings of salty bacon and sharp cheddar cheese is a combo made in heaven.
Easy salad recipe to feed a crowd
A easy 7 layer salad recipe is excellent at feeding a lot of people and can easily be made ahead of time.
Make it the day before and store, covered, in the refrigerator.
Don’t worry about it getting soggy, because the dressing layer will keep everything underneath it fresh and crisp.
Many times I’ve made one for a barbecue party (along with my Mexican Street Corn Potato Salad).
And I always make one for Easter dinner each year. The pretty layers make for an impressive looking addition to a buffet table when it’s made in a glass dish or trifle bowl
One of the things I love about a seven layer salad recipe is it’s versatility.
The ingredients can vary depending on what veggies are in season or just use your favorites.
There must be four layers that are, what I consider, the salad’s classic ingredients: lettuce, peas, hard-boiled eggs, and the sugar-mayo dressing.
The other three can be personalized to your liking.
My seven layers are (and in order):
- lettuce
- sweet Vidalia onion
- frozen green peas (no need to thaw first)
- hard boiled eggs
- dressing
- shredded white sharp cheddar cheese
- lots of crumbled crispy cooked bacon
So when you need an easy side dish recipe, make this Easy 7 Layer Salad for holiday cookouts, barbecues, or any other special occasion. Enjoy and please let me know in the comments below what salad layers you used!
Easy 7 Layer Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups mayonnaise (homemade or a good quailty store bought)
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 large head of iceberg lettuce, chopped
- 1 medium Vidalia or red onion, diced
- 12 ounces frozen peas, (keep frozen and do not thaw)
- 5 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 pound bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and sugar to make the dressing. Set aside.
- Using a 9×13 glass baking dish or trifle bowl, layer the salad in the following order: lettuce, onion, frozen peas, and sliced eggs. Completely cover top of salad with the dressing. Sprinkle top with the cheese and bacon. Cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
Briget says
This recipe is the only reason I found out I don’t hate peas!
Well ok I hate them in any other form!
Great recipe and makes me think of someone I absolutely love! She was not a great chef but she sure got this right every single time!
Everyone has their signature dish and this certainly was hers!
Karrie says
LOL and thanks Briget! I love the peas in this recipe too, especially strange considering they aren’t even cooked, but they totally work.
Kathy In Shorewood says
An all time favorite I had forgotten about til now. Gonna add it to my Easter dinner line up.
Serve it in a 9 x 13ish glass pan with a large serving spoon. That way you don’t have to mix it up and everyone will have all seven layers. That’s the classic old fashioned way. Happy Easter from hopefully sunny. Wisconsin
Karrie says
We love this salad so much in my family too! Hope you have a wonderfully sunny Easter and enjoy the recipe Kathy!
Wendy Hajder says
Well here we are in Jamuary and sib zero weather here in Mimnesota, and yet ot is always a good time for a good salad. I grew up with this 7 layer salad and I’m 74 years old… there is nothing better. When we lived in Texas for 4 years I introduced this wonderful salad to family members down there, they fell on love with it and now make it often themselves. I pulled this up to check to see if it had changed at all and so happy it hadn’t. Thanks so much for sharing!
Karrie says
I feel your pain Wendy because it’s freezing where I am too! True, there is nothing better than a 7 layer salad. Whenever I try to explain to someone what this salad is, they don’t fully get it until they take a bite, then they understand it’s the best salad in the world! hahaha! Seriously, I love it and so glad you and your family does too.
Arlene White says
I can’t wait 8 hours . Can I go with 7 hours>
Karrie says
Yes Arlene!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
Your salad looks so pretty in the trifle bowl. I wouldn’t want to be the first to take a serving and mess it up.
Karrie says
Hahahaha! Too true! It’s hard getting that first scoop out and keep everything so pretty. Thanks so much Karen.
Jeff the Chef says
What a gorgeous salad!
karrie @ Tasty Ever After says
Thank you Jeff!
Katie Crenshaw | A Fork’s Tale says
I made this salad for Easter for my family. Mine wasn’t as pretty as yours, but it was a big hit. The flavor combinations were perfect. Everyone loved it. Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
karrie @ Tasty Ever After says
That makes me so happy that everyone liked it! Thanks Katie!
Cindy says
Can I use miracle whip instead of mayonaise.
[email protected] says
Sure Cindy! Although you might want to leave out the sugar in the recipe so the miracle whip isn’t too sweet. Please let me know how it works substituting out the mayo!
michael reiff says
I cant find white sharp cheddar cheese at my local grocery store can i use mozzarella shredded instead?
this 7 layer looks soooo good cant wait to make it. thank you janet
[email protected] says
Yes, you can use any kind of cheese in this salad. I think a mild cheddar or sharp cheddar works best in this, but feel free to use any type of cheese you prefer. Hope you like the salad!
maggie says
This is my favorite salad! An ongoing family discussion: do you serve this salad from the trifle bowl or dump it in a big serving bowl and toss all the layers together?
[email protected] says
Hi Maggie! This is my favorite salad too! I serve it right from the trifle bowl into individual bowls for guests, but you can also mix it all together in a separate larger bowl before serving. The only disadvantage with mixing it all together is the salad leftovers will become soggy due to the dressing.
Eleanor Blais says
Can I use anything else besides peas?
[email protected] says
Hi Eleanor, I haven’t used anything in place of the peas in this salad; however, please feel free to adjust the recipe to your tastes. If you don’t like peas, you can leave them out and substitute raw sliced carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, etc. Thanks for stopping by
Pam says
I have used thinly sliced radishes and that works great too and adds another color
[email protected] says
Love the idea of radishes Pam! Trying that next time
Vineetha @ Mint and Mimosas says
Great presentation! This dish is perfect for a summer party.
[email protected] says
Thanks so much Vineetha!
Kennedy Cole| KCole's Creative Corner says
This has a POUND of bacon….Do I even need to say anything else? I mean when you top ANYTHING with that much porky goodness, then it just has to be delectable! I am seriously craving this salad, right now. Will you please mail me….all of this? K, thanks. I love how simple the dressing is. When you have that many flavors going on in the actual salad, then you don’t need a super complicated dressing. YUMMY!
[email protected] says
You got that right Kennedy. I could eat anything if it has a pound of bacon on/in it! Thanks for appreciating the salad dressing for what it is. You must be a southern girl
Beeta @ Mon Petit Four says
This looks SO good, Karrie! I love that it’s a 7-layer SALAD, and not a dip. I will definitely be making this for my next outdoor gathering!
[email protected] says
Thanks so much Beeta. Let me know how you like it
Beth Russell says
I have loved this salad every since I bought it from the Kroger deli. Then they stopped getting it in. I don’t even like sweet peas but they are great in this dish. So glad I found this recipe and so glad it’s not the seven layer dip.
Karrie says
Thank you Beth and so glad you liked it!!