Classic Southern Seven-Layer Salad is the perfect make-ahead dish for your next dinner party or holiday gathering. This spectacular salad made in a trifle dish is as versatile as it is delicious. Place it in the middle of the table, and be prepared for rave reviews!
Ingredients - Here's What I Used
I used the following salad ingredients for this show-stopping layer salad recipe.
- Iceberg lettuce. You could also use romaine lettuce in this delicious side dish.
- Hard-boiled eggs.
- Grape tomatoes.
- Green onions.
- Cooked and drained bacon.
- Shredded cheddar cheese.
- Frozen green peas.
- A sprinkling of paprika for a festive look.
Here's How I Made This Classic Southern Seven-Layer Salad
The following are the step-by-step instructions that I followed for this classic seven-layer salad.
- To make this potluck classic, I started by combining some mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, shredded parmesan cheese, sugar, and white wine vinegar in a small bowl for the creamy dressing.
- Then, I moved on to building the salad. I like to make it in a clear trifle bowl to showcase the different layers, starting with a layer of bite-size pieces of iceberg lettuce.
Next, I added sliced hard-boiled eggs. I lined the bowl with a ring of sliced eggs, and put the rest on top of the layers of lettuce (here's the easiest way to make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs Every Time).
- After I put the hard-boiled eggs on top of the lettuce, I added a ring of sliced grape tomatoes and placed the remaining sliced tomatoes on top of the eggs.
- I added the white and green parts of sliced green onions for the fourth layer.
- For the fifth layer, I added broken pieces of cooked and drained bacon. You can never have too much bacon!
- For the sixth layer, I added shredded cheddar cheese.
- For the final layer, I added some frozen green peas.
I finished the Seven-Layer Salad by spreading on the homemade dressing that I had previously made. To make the salad look more festive, I sprinkled on a few of the green peas and a little bit of paprika.
I covered the Seven-Layer Salad with plastic wrap and refrigerated it overnight.
This spectacular salad is ideal for your church potluck and the ultimate addition to your favorite recipes. It is also the perfect way to impress your guests at your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions
Seven Layer Salad is a classic American dish that originated in the 1950's. It's served in a glass bowl to highlight the beautiful, colorful layers. Although the traditional recipe has changed slightly over the years based on personal preferences, it remains a staple for barbecues, picnics and potlucks.
I like to use a trifle bowl for this amazing salad because of the visual appearance. However, any clear bowl will work. In addition, the salad can be made in a 9 x 13-inch glass dish.
The salad should be made at least 4 hours in advance. However, I generally make this salad the day before I plan on serving it, and refrigerate it overnight. This allows the flavors to blend together.
The salad doesn't need to be mixed together before serving. Just make sure that you have a large, long spoon that can scoop out a helping with all of the tasty layers.
Other Tasty Salads
If you're a fan of salads, you should check out these delicious salads that are also perfect for your 4th of July festivities:
I first posted this amazing salad on December 17, 2017. Given its festive look, it was perfect for Christmas. Since then, I've made it a number of times for different festivities, including Thanksgiving and the 4th of July.
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Classic Southern Seven-Layer Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 cup (8-ounces) mayonnaise
- ½ cup (4-ounces) light sour cream
- ½ cup (2-ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoon white wine vinegar
Salad
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into small pieces
- 4 hard boiled eggs, sliced lengthwise
- 1 ½ cups grape tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
- ½ pound (8-ounces) bacon, cooked, drained and broken into small pieces
- 6 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced
- 1 cup (4-ounces) sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
Instructions
Dressing
- Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, sugar and vinegar in a small bowl until smooth and creamy; set aside.
Salad
- Add lettuce to trifle bowl, or other clear bowl. Place a ring of sliced eggs around perimeter of bowl, nestling them in the lettuce for support. Place remaining eggs on top of lettuce. Place a ring of sliced grape tomatoes around perimeter of bowl above the eggs; place remaining tomatoes on top of egg layer. Layer the bacon, green onions, Cheddar cheese, and green peas in that order on top of tomato layer.
- Spread dressing on top of salad. If desired, sprinkle a few green peas and paprika on top for a festive look.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and preferably overnight.
- Serve with a large, long spoon for scooping up the different layers.
- Yield: 10 to 12 servings.
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