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A classic, easy 7 layer Salad recipe served in a trifle bowl. So many options for the seven layers, you choose what you love. Perfect for potlucks!
Love weeknight salads for dinner? This easy macaroni salad recipe is packed with pasta, veggies, and tuna! You may also love this Dorito Taco Salad for dinner!
Weeknight Salad Recipe
Growing up, my mom always made a 7 Layer Salad in the summer.
At family gatherings there was always an abundance of salads and side dishes, and the layered salad recipe with vegetables and sour cream never called my name.
I mean, things like Pistachio Fluff Salad and Snicker’s Taffy Apple Salad were my go-to choices.
And while I still love those sweet dessert salads, I’ve come full circle in life to where I tend to love and appreciate those foods from my childhood that I turned up my nose at (remember these 7 layer cookie bars?).
Anyway, let’s get started on all the details to making THE BEST Seven Layer Salad recipe!
Important Ingredients
EGGS: Make your hard boiled eggs. You’ll need about 6-8 large eggs for this recipe.
PRO TIP: I love using my Instant Pot Hard Boiled Egg recipe for quick and perfect eggs. They peel like a dream. Once cooked, cut eggs into quarters.
BACON: Whether you like your breakfast bacon chewy or crunchy doesn’t matter for today’s salad. You MUST make the crunchy version. Trust me, in a salad, wimpy chewy bacon is never a good option.
To get perfect crisp bacon I opt to fry it up in a skillet while my eggs are cooking! Crumble the bacon once it is cooked to a crisp!
VEGETABLES: Cut and dice your remaining vegetables.
- Lettuce: Iceberg lettuce is what I usually choose for 7 layer salad. Wash it good with cold water, shake off excess water, blot with paper towels, then give it a rough chop into bite size pieces.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Slice in half.
- Red Onion: Cut onion in half, peel, and make thin slices.
- Red Bell Pepper: Thinly sliced and seeded.
- Frozen Peas: Thawed. You can also use canned sweet peas that have been drained. I prefer the frozen though as they have a less “mushy” texture.
- Green Onion: Sliced thin, using the white and the green tops.
DRESSING: Mix the dressing. Using a medium size bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, granulated sugar, cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and onion powder.
ASSEMBLE: Assemble the salad. In a large trifle bowl or clear glass salad bowl (so you can see the layers!), layer 1/2 of the chopped lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion, hard boiled eggs. Add about 1/3 of the dressing. Top with the remaining lettuce, black olives, peas, and red bell pepper. Add the remaining dressing on top.
Garnish the top of the salad with shredded cheese, bacon crumbles, and green onions slices (optional).
CHILL: Refrigerate. It’s very important for a seven layer salad to chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Serve and enjoy!
Stop up on mayo so you can whip up this easy chocolate mayonnaise cake next!
What are the layers in a 7 Layer Salad
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Onion
- Eggs
- Olives
- Peas
- Peppers
- OOPS. I have too many layers. Dressing.
- Cheese.
- Bacon.
- Green onion
As you can see there is a LOT of flexibility with layers. Sometimes I omit the olives and peppers. Sometimes I get rid of the onion and peas. Seriously, make it with the layers YOU love.
This salad makes a big trifle bowl full of fresh veggies, and is the perfect crowd feeding recipe!
Serving Suggestions
If you’re bringing this to a potluck, you never know what might show up. But making and serving this layered salad with dinner is definitely a genius decision.
We like this salad with Baked Pork Chops, BBQ Chicken, or Mississippi Pot Roast!
You could even toss in a layer of shredded chicken and make this salad a meal.
Recipe FAQs
How do you store 7 layer salad?
Keep covered in refrigerator for up to 2 days.
What kind of dish do I serve a seven layer salad in?
No trifle bowl? No problem. Assemble in a 13×9 instead. You could also assemble in a regular glass bowl (not see through) and mix the salad RIGHT before serving!
Can 7 layer salad be made in advance?
Assemble this salad at least 8 hours in advance! This allows the sugar in the dressing to absorb and the flavors to mingle.
More Salad Recipes
- Pasta Salad – with Shrimp
- Chicken Salad Recipe
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Roasted Corn Salad
- Egg Salad
- Potato Salad
- Pretzel Salad
Family Friendly Dinners
See all Main Dish recipesSoups and Stews
Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe
Breakfast and Brunch
Spinach and Sausage Quiche
Main Dish
Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
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7 Layer Salad
4.93 from 26 votes
By: Aimee
A classic, easy 7 layer Salad recipe served in a trifle bowl. So many options for the seven layers, you choose what you love. Perfect for potlucks!
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
For the salad
- 8 Large Eggs hard boiled, quartered
- 1 package bacon, cooked and crumbled 12 oz
- 8 cups Iceberg lettuce
- 1 medium red onion sliced thin
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
- 12 oz frozen peas thawed
- 1 can sliced black olives, drained 4 oz
- 1 red pepper seeded and sliced thin (or diced)
- 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 green onions chopped
For the dressing
- 1 ½ cups Mayonnaise
- ½ cup Sour Cream
- ¼ cup Buttermilk
- 3 Tablespoon sugar
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
Instructions
Make your hard boiled eggs. You’ll need about 6-8 large eggs for this recipe. I love using my Instant Pot Hard Boiled Egg recipe for quick and perfect eggs. Once cooked, cut eggs into quarters.
Prepare your bacon. To get perfect crisp bacon I opt to fry it up in a skillet while my eggs are cooking! Crumble the bacon once it is cooked to a crisp!
Cut and dice your remaining vegetables.(see ingredients above).
Mix the dressing. Using a medium size bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, granulated sugar, cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and onion powder.
Assemble the salad. In a large trifle bowl or clear glass salad bowl, layer 1/2 of the chopped lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion, hard boiled eggs. Add about 1/3 of the dressing. Top with the remaining lettuce, black olives, peas, and red bell pepper. Add the remaining dressing on top.
Garnish the top of the salad with shredded cheese, bacon crumbles, and green onions slices (optional).
Refrigerate. It’s very important for a seven layer salad to chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. SERVE and ENJOY.
Notes
- For quick assembly, feel free to use precooked bacon and hard boiled Eggs. You can buy both at most large grocery stores!
- The dressing is key to this salad. It’s just slightly sweet from the sugar, but the zesty flavor comes from the buttermilk. I buy THIS buttermilk powder to store in my refrigerator for longer periods of time so it’s handy when I need it! You could also make my buttermilk substitute!
- In a pinch, don’t tell my mom, but you COULD use a thick ranch dressing if needed.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 390kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 21g, Cholesterol: 160mg, Sodium: 575mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 8g
Course: Side Dishes
Cuisine: American
Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!
Traditional, Southern 7 Layer Salad recipe with zesty dressing. Perfect for potlucks and parties.
