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Home » 30 Minute Recipes

Easy 7 Layer Salad

05/09/2018 Updated: 03/22/2022 By Karrie 35 Comments

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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!

Easy 7 layer salad recipe in trifle bowl on a wooden table

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.

Layered salad in a trifle with serving tongs and bowls

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

Layered salad with lettuce, bacon, eggs, cheese, and peas

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
Chopped lettuce with onions, peas, and hard boiled eggs in a glass bowl

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! 

7 Layer Salad in a trifle bowl with white bowls and a large serving spoon

Easy 7 Layer Salad

A recipe for the classic Southern easy 7 layer salad that's perfect for family gatherings. Delicious layers of lettuce, sweet onion, green peas, hard boiled eggs, and topped with a homemade dressing, cheddar cheese, and crispy bacon!
5 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Resting Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 682kcal
Author: Karrie | Tasty Ever After

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
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and sugar to make the dressing. Set aside.
  • Using a 9x13 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.
Nutrition Facts
Easy 7 Layer Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 682 Calories from Fat 549
% Daily Value*
Fat 61g94%
Saturated Fat 16g80%
Cholesterol 168mg56%
Sodium 833mg35%
Potassium 330mg9%
Carbohydrates 11g4%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 19g38%
Vitamin A 935IU19%
Vitamin C 15.9mg19%
Calcium 209mg21%
Iron 1.5mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @tastyeverafter or tag #tastyeverafter

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 ©  Tasty Ever After  All images and content are copyright protected, so please do not copy or claim my work as your own.  Please do not use any images or republish this recipe without prior permission.  If you want to reference this recipe, link directly back to this post.  Thank you.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Magdalene Snowdon

    December 03, 2021 at 3:43 pm

    Very good!

    Reply
  2. Marnie

    November 26, 2020 at 9:23 am

    5 stars
    Love this salad! We make it with shredded swiss cheese and Miracle Whip (that way you don't need to add any sugar).

    Reply
    • Karrie

      November 26, 2020 at 4:19 pm

      Yay and thank you Marnie!

      Reply
  3. Briget

    May 27, 2020 at 1:16 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Karrie

      May 27, 2020 at 5:07 pm

      LOL and thanks Briget! I love the peas in this recipe too, especially strange considering they aren't even cooked, but they totally work.

      Reply
  4. Kathy In Shorewood

    April 12, 2019 at 12:22 am

    5 stars
    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

    Reply
    • Karrie

      April 15, 2019 at 2:53 pm

      We love this salad so much in my family too! Hope you have a wonderfully sunny Easter and enjoy the recipe Kathy!

      Reply
  5. Wendy Hajder

    January 23, 2019 at 11:12 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Karrie

      January 24, 2019 at 8:45 pm

      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.

      Reply
  6. Arlene White

    January 11, 2019 at 2:45 pm

    I can't wait 8 hours . Can I go with 7 hours>

    Reply
    • Karrie

      January 11, 2019 at 3:30 pm

      Yes Arlene!

      Reply
  7. Karen (Back Road Journal)

    June 02, 2018 at 3:41 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Karrie

      June 04, 2018 at 9:31 am

      Hahahaha! Too true! It's hard getting that first scoop out and keep everything so pretty. Thanks so much Karen.

      Reply
  8. Jeff the Chef

    May 20, 2018 at 6:39 pm

    What a gorgeous salad!

    Reply
    • karrie @ Tasty Ever After

      May 25, 2018 at 2:30 pm

      Thank you Jeff!

      Reply
  9. Katie Crenshaw | A Fork’s Tale

    April 03, 2018 at 10:27 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • karrie @ Tasty Ever After

      May 25, 2018 at 2:27 pm

      That makes me so happy that everyone liked it! Thanks Katie!

      Reply
  10. Cindy

    October 04, 2017 at 4:03 pm

    Can I use miracle whip instead of mayonaise.

    Reply
    • [email protected]

      October 04, 2017 at 4:33 pm

      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!

      Reply
  11. michael reiff

    April 23, 2016 at 1:58 pm

    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

    Reply
    • [email protected]

      April 24, 2016 at 12:03 pm

      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!

      Reply
  12. maggie

    March 28, 2016 at 7:20 am

    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?

    Reply
    • [email protected]

      March 28, 2016 at 8:57 am

      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.

      Reply
  13. Eleanor Blais

    March 25, 2016 at 4:30 pm

    Can I use anything else besides peas?

    Reply
    • [email protected]

      March 28, 2016 at 9:02 am

      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

      Reply
      • Pam

        June 22, 2016 at 6:52 pm

        I have used thinly sliced radishes and that works great too and adds another color

        Reply
        • [email protected]

          June 22, 2016 at 9:17 pm

          Love the idea of radishes Pam! Trying that next time

          Reply
  14. Vineetha @ Mint and Mimosas

    July 13, 2015 at 12:34 pm

    Great presentation! This dish is perfect for a summer party.

    Reply
    • [email protected]

      July 14, 2015 at 11:49 am

      Thanks so much Vineetha!

      Reply
  15. Kennedy Cole| KCole's Creative Corner

    July 09, 2015 at 11:49 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • [email protected]

      July 10, 2015 at 4:36 pm

      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

      Reply
  16. Beeta @ Mon Petit Four

    June 29, 2015 at 5:58 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • [email protected]

      July 01, 2015 at 8:37 am

      Thanks so much Beeta. Let me know how you like it

      Reply
    • Beth Russell

      September 02, 2019 at 12:53 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Karrie

        September 02, 2019 at 3:19 pm

        Thank you Beth and so glad you liked it!!

        Reply

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Thank you for visiting Tasty Ever After and I'm Karrie! I hope you enjoy spending some time here finding easy scratch made recipes for the home cook.

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