Seven Layer Salad

by Sabrina Snyder

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3 Comments

5 from 1 vote
12 Servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
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Seven Layer Salad is a vibrant, crunchy, and flavorful dish that’s perfect for potlucks! Every bite is a fresh, satisfying delight!

This easy Side Dish is sure to become a favorite for family reunions, cookouts, and picnics. Just like Macaroni Salad, the flavorful Curried Chicken Pasta Salad, or classic Potato Salad, it’s a refreshing dish with a creamy mayo dressing that’s perfect for spring and summer. 

Sabrina’s Seven Layer Salad Recipe

You may have enjoyed Seven Layer Salad while you were growing up. It’s such a classic for potlucks and a favorite salad for Summer BBQs. This easy recipe makes it just like how you remember, with layers of iceberg lettuce, onion, peas, celery, creamy dressing, cheese, and bacon. It’s easy to make and is packed with a variety of different flavors and textures from all the layers. This is the perfect dish to serve at your next Summer BBQ. Make it to go on the side of your hamburgers, Grilled Chicken, or hot dogs.

Recipe Card

Dinner, then Dessert

Seven Layer Salad Recipe

Seven Layer Salad is a vibrant, crunchy, and flavorful dish that's perfect for potlucks! Every bite is a fresh, satisfying delight!
Yield 12 Servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
Side view of salad in a glass bowl
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound bacon
  • 6 cups iceberg lettuce , chopped
  • 1 red onion , chopped
  • 12 ounces frozen green peas , thawed
  • 3 stalks celery , chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese , shredded
  • 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

  • Add bacon to a large skillet and cook until brown and crispy, then remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
  • Let cool then chop.
  • Layer the salad with lettuce, then onion, peas, and celery.
  • Mix the mayonnaise and sugar and spread it over the celery, then top with cheese and bacon.
  • Refrigerate until serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 889mg | Potassium: 364mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 613IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 1mg

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About this Recipe

The easy salad goes great with any number of main dishes. It’s filling, refreshing, and a favorite with kids and adults. If you’re serving a bigger group, you may want to make it a double batch. This crowd-pleasing salad goes fast. Seven Layer Salad is creamy, savory, salty, crunchy, and sweet. Each layer brings its own unique taste and texture that complements the dish. The creamy layer of mayonnaise helps bring all the other ingredients together, and the little bit of sugar mixed in adds just the right amount of sweetness.

Chef’s Note:

This recipe follows the traditional ingredients for Seven Layer Salad for a nostalgic and delicious side. But you can always experiment with different ingredients. Try swapping out the peas for corn or adding in some ham or potatoes. There are so many ways you can change up the layers or add new ones for fun spins on this salad.

Ingredients

This dish is packed with so many fresh and yummy ingredients! Be sure to get fresh and crisp elements from the store to impress your guests.

  • Bacon: You can use any bacon. We like thick-cut bacon, cooked to perfect crispiness, cooled, and chopped. 
  • Cheese: You can use pre-shredded cheese for ease. Buying a big block of cheese and then shredding it yourself is budget-friendly and ensures the freshest cheese possible outside a dairy farm!
  • Lettuce: For easy prep, you can easily get the pre-cut salad mixes. If you want to get fancy, use baby spinach or butter lettuce in your layers. Be sure to wash and pat dry the lettuce before layering. 
  • Peas: Canned peas simply won’t do. The crisp flavor of thawed frozen peas is better than the mushy kind. Bonus points if you can use peas fresh from the garden or farmer’s market!
  • Onion: Red onion really gives the layers a nice pop of color. You can use white or yellow onion in an emergency, too. If this is the case, add a thin layer of sliced purple cabbage instead.
  • Celery: Celery is celery, but it is essential to this recipe. Make sure to buy the freshest green celery that doesn’t have any dark green, mushy patches. 
  • Mayo: Use your favorite real mayo for this dish. Miracle Whip is not recommended unless everyone loves the extra sweetness.

How to Store

  • Serve: Don’t leave your Seven Layer Salad at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Serve it in a clear trifle bowl or other glass bowl to enjoy the pop of color from the various layers.
  • Store: If you have any leftovers or want to make Seven Layer Salad ahead of time, it will last in the fridge for 3-4 days. Make sure to cover it tightly with plastic wrap or seal it in an airtight container.
  • Freeze: Due to the mayo, this recipe won’t freeze well and is best served fresh. If you don’t finish it within the 4 days, it’s best to throw it out and make a fresh batch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this recipe be made ahead of time?

Yes! This recipe is great to make ahead of time. You can make it up to 3-4 days before serving. You’ll want to keep the mayo dressing out until it is ready to serve, as it might cause the other ingredients to get mushy. 

Should I mix everything together before serving?

While mixing all the ingredients together is technically possible, this recipe showcases the actual ingredients in contrasting layers that are aesthetically pleasing. If you mix it all together, toss it well to coat everything in the mayo, and serve it in an opaque serving bowl.

What bowl is best for the Seven Layer Salad?

Use a glass bowl that you can see the layers in. You can use a trifle dish, which is perfect for this kind of dish because you can easily see the layers.

Variations

  • Bacon: Instead of topping the salad off with typical bacon, you could use turkey bacon or add some more sweetness with candied bacon. You could also add other meats like shredded chicken, turkey, or ham.
  • Cheese: Instead of regular cheddar cheese, try using sharp cheddar, Swiss, provolone, pepper jack, or even Gouda cheese.
  • Lightened Seven Layer Salad: Instead of using one cup of mayonnaise, you can exchange it for sour cream or non-fat plain Greek yogurt. This will make for a lighter salad but will have a similar texture.
  • Flavor: For some flavor additions, try mixing in some lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey, or lime with the dressing. You can also add seasonings like paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, or oregano.
  • Add-ins: For even more layers for your layered salad, try adding green onions, fried onions, cherry tomatoes, corn, pasta, avocado, hard-boiled eggs, or potatoes.

More Amazing Salads

bowl of Seven Layer Salad pin 1

Photos used in a previous version of this post.

Seven Layer Salad serving on plate
Seven Layer Salad collage
top-down view of Seven Layer Salad in glass bowl
Seven Layer Salad side view in glass bowl

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. This is good but I add more layers to the salad.
    I like to add green peppers and cauliflower
    shredded blend of cheese

    Reply

  2. I have been making 7 layer salad since the 80’s. I also add chopped red and green peppers and sliced mushrooms to this salad. Everyone loves it. 7 salad salad should be made the day before serving, covered with Saran Wrap and refrigerate. Delicious and so easy & quite the crowd pleaser.

    Reply

  3. Making this for superbowl party…hardest part are the eggs! Cannot find “old eggs” to boil…you know the drill…this is an authentic recipe, thank you! Added tarragon mustard to the mayo as mustard and tarragon are great with eggs. Go Bengals!
    Great recipes, Sabrina, love ya Chef!
    Craig

    Reply