It’s picnic season and that means it is time to eat Seven Layer Salad!
Seven layer salad topped with cheddar cheese and bacon
Seven Layer Salad is a classic picnic and get-together recipe served in many parts of the United States, especially the Mid-West.
It is typically served in a glass trifle bowl so everyone can admire the beauty of the seven layers of the salad.
The base layer consists of lettuce. You can use standard iceberg lettuce or a mix of spring greens and place them in the bowl as the bottom layer.
Next, use some of those cherry or grape tomatoes from your garden. We are always looking for ways to use them during harvest season!
Here is a good hint on an easy way to slice those tiny tomatoes: Place the washed cherry or grape tomatoes in the center of your cutting board.
Place the bottom of a plate on top of the tomatoes and press the top of the plate with your hand so the tomatoes are secure and unable to move.
Next take a serrated knife and cut the tomatoes in half while they are being held still by the pressure of the plate. And there you have it! Multiple tomatoes cut in a matter of seconds!
Slice cherry or grape tomatoes by placing a plate over them and cut them with a serrated knife.
The next layer is cauliflower that has been cut into small pieces. There is nothing worse than taking a bite into a Seven Layer Salad and the cauliflower is too big to fit in your mouth.
Sliced hard-boiled eggs go on next. See: How To Boil An Egg (even farm fresh eggs) for easy to peel, perfectly cooked eggs.
Frozen peas go on top of the egg layer. Just run the peas in cold water to get them to thaw out a bit and layer them on top of the eggs.
Diced red onions are up next and become the 6th layer of your Seven Layer Salad. Because the onions can become a bit strong once diced, I usually run them under cold water for a couple of minutes before adding them to the salad.
This helps take the bite out of the onions for those that don’t prefer the strong onion flavor.
And now is the time to make the dressing. The dressing will be thick when you first spread it on top of the onions. However, as it sits and chills in the refrigerator it will become a thinner consistency.
That completes your Seven Layer Salad! But wait, there is a bonus!!!
Salad is always better with cheddar cheese and bacon. So we top the salad with a light layer of each, which gives it an additional depth of flavor that everyone loves!
If you don’t like one of the ingredients, or if someone has an egg allergy, feel free to substitute other vegetables into this recipe. You can add in diced celery, cucumbers, or whatever else you prefer to make it your own!
Classic Seven Layer Salad Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
1 head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 package of grape tomatoes, halved
2 cups cauliflower florets, diced into small pieces
6 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1 (12-ounce) package frozen peas, thawed
1 small red onion, chopped
Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Topping
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
12 ounces bacon, chopped and cooked until crispy
The best way to cook bacon is put it in the oven for 400 degrees until nice and crisp.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In a trifle bowl or large glass bowl, layer the lettuce followed by the tomatoes, cauliflower, hard boiled eggs, peas and red onion.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients until well combined and spread on top of the salad.
3. Sprinkle cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon on top.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving.
Enjoy!
Mary and Jim
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Classic Seven Layer Salad Recipe
A beautifully layered salad that is topped with a sweet and tangy dressing, cheddar cheese and bacon and a huge hit at parties and pot lucks.
Ingredients
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 1 package grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups cauliflower florets, diced into small pieces
- 6 hard boiled eggs, sliced
- 1 12 ounce pkg frozen peas , thawed
- 1 small red onion, chopped
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Topping
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 12 ounces bacon, cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- In a trifle bowl or large glass bowl, layer the lettuce followed by the grape tomatoes, cauliflower, hard boiled eggs, peas and red onion.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients and spread on top of salad.
- Sprinkle cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon on top.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving.
Notes
Recipe courtesy of Old World Garden Farms
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g