We’re kicking it old skool at present with a Southern favourite that was a staple at our gatherings rising up: 7 Layer Salad. Made with lettuce, peas, tomatoes, bacon, a candy mayo-based dressing, cheddar cheese, and hard-boiled eggs all layered collectively, it stars at any potluck or vacation.
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Why You’ll Love This Traditional Salad Recipe
- Stunner. Relating to presentation, conventional 7 layer salad is a show-stealer. Each lovely layer stands out.
- Enjoyable and Completely different. Layer salad is just not tossed; friends use lengthy tongs to succeed in down by way of the salad from the highest and seize a few of each layer. It’s sudden and pleasant.
- Make-Forward Pleasant. 7 layer salad might be made the night time earlier than, so it’s very best for entertaining.
- Retro (in a Good Approach). When you grew up within the Midwest, seeing a “salad” that incorporates extra bacon, eggs, cheese, and mayo than precise greens most likely received’t shock you (proper this approach to Wholesome Potato Salad, Ramen Salad, and Shrimp Pasta Salad for those who please). It’s a nostalgic throwback that hits the spot!
About This 7 Layer Salad Recipe
Seven-layer salad is a well-liked potluck and picnic dish, however what constitutes every of the seven layers varies. In reality, even “conventional” sources for a layered salad recipe (Kraft, Betty Crocker, Pioneer Girl) don’t fully agree.
Right here’s my tackle this recipe:
- I swapped the iceberg lettuce for extra flavorful and nutritious romaine.
- I added further veggies for shade and crunch.
- The often bland dressing is amped up with Parmesan and garlic.
- As an alternative of mayo (or Miracle Whip) and sugar within the dressing, I used Greek yogurt and honey.
- I minimize down on the bacon slightly. The unique requires a full pound, which (belief me, I by no means thought I’d say this) actually was an excessive amount of. It disrupted the concord of the opposite substances.
- For cheese, this recipe opts for an additional sharp cheddar. You may get away with much less however nonetheless have the full-on style impact.
How one can Make 7 Layer Salad
The Substances
- Romaine. Crisp, cool, and durable, romaine is the perfect alternative for this salad. Its texture can stand as much as the hefty load of different substances and received’t change into soggy as rapidly.
- Bacon. Crispy, smoky bacon is a must have element of this salad. Bacon additionally helps make this salad extra filling. You can also swap the bacon for diced ham for the same impact.
- Exhausting Boiled Eggs. A creamy complement to the crispy bacon. The eggs add wealthy taste, protein, and wholesome fat.
- Crimson Onion. Soaking the crimson onion in water first removes its harshness, leaving only a trace of chew. You may as well swap inexperienced onions, no must soak.
- Tomatoes. Juicy cherry tomatoes add a beautiful sweetness to the salad and style implausible with the eggs and bacon.
- Frozen Peas. A straightforward approach so as to add extra veggies. Whereas not everybody loves inexperienced peas in salad, right here they work.
- Additional Sharp Cheddar Cheese. The daring, tacky taste of additional sharp cheddar doesn’t get misplaced amongst the opposite substances.
- Greek Yogurt Dressing. A easy mixture of Greek yogurt, Parmesan, honey (my swap for white sugar), apple cider vinegar, salt, and garlic powder. It’s creamy, tacky, tangy, salty, and slightly candy.
The Instructions
- Get Prepared. Cook dinner the bacon, hard-boil the eggs, and soak the crimson onion.
- Make the Dressing. It is going to be thick and creamy.
- Layer the Greens. They make the contemporary base.
- Add Some Shade. Tomatoes and crimson onions add a reasonably stripe.
- Layer the Peas and Eggs. It’s lookin’ purty!
- Smear the Dressing Over the High. It is going to be a thick layer.
- Add the Good Stuff. Bacon and shredded cheese.
- Chill. For at the least 1 hour. Then ENJOY!
Make It in Advance
As much as 1 day prematurely, arduous boil the eggs (I prefer to make Immediate Pot Boiled Eggs), cook dinner the bacon, and soak/chop the crimson onion. You may as well chop the tomatoes and romaine and shred the cheddar cheese. Refrigerate every ingredient till you’re prepared to complete the recipe.
What to Serve with 7 Layer Salad
Recipe Ideas and Tips
- Play Round. Use this recipe as a place to begin and be at liberty to swap in different greens (or do greater than 7 layers!). For instance, you are able to do a 7 layer salad with cauliflower florets, broccoli, celery, cucumber, corn, crimson bell peppers, and even avocado!
- Get that Bacon Crispy. You need it so as to add some good crunch. See Baked Bacon within the Oven and Air Fryer Bacon for simple strategies to cook dinner good, crispy bacon.
- Don’t Skip the Eggs and Bacon. Sadly, I wouldn’t suggest making this a vegan or vegetarian 7 layer salad, because the bacon and arduous boiled eggs are actually what make the salad style its greatest.
- Make It With Ranch. I feel ranch dressing by itself could be too skinny for a seven layer salad, which wants a dressing thick sufficient to face as its personal layer with out dripping into the leaves. When you’d like a ranch model, use this Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip for the dressing, or stir a tablespoon or two from a packet of ranch seasoning into Greek yogurt or bitter cream and use it because the dressing.
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For the Salad:
- 8 ounces center-cut bacon
- 4 massive eggs
- 2/3 cup chopped crimson onion
- 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce from about 2 romaine hearts (12 ounces chopped romaine)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 (10-ounce) bundle frozen peas thawed
- 2/3 cup freshly shredded further sharp cheddar cheese use yellow cheddar for probably the most shade distinction
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Cook dinner and crumble or chop the bacon (see Baked Bacon within the Oven and Air Fryer Bacon for simple strategies). Place the crimson onion in a small bowl and canopy with chilly water. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
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Exhausting boil the eggs: Convey a medium pot of salted water to a boil. With a slotted spoon, gently decrease the eggs into the boiling water. Modify the warmth to keep up a mild, regular simmer. Let the eggs simmer at this low, light boil for 8 minutes for barely jammy yolks (or cook dinner as much as 9 minutes for totally set yolks). Within the meantime, put together a big ice bathtub. Use the slotted spoon to rigorously switch the eggs to the ice bathtub. Gently crack the shells with the again of the spoon, then return them to the water (this makes them simpler to peel). Peel and chop.
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Put together the dressing: in a medium bowl, stir collectively the Greek yogurt, Parmesan, honey, vinegar, salt, and garlic powder. Style and alter seasoning as desired.
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Place the romaine within the backside of a LARGE, flat, clear serving bowl—you need to have the ability to see the layers and unfold them evenly; a trifle bowl works nicely in case you have one.
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Subsequent, construct the salad layers, spreading every evenly. Begin with the tomatoes and crimson onions.
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Add the peas and eggs.
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Unfold the dressing evenly excessive. Layer on the cheese, then the bacon. Refrigerate for at the least 1 hour (or in a single day).
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To serve, use lengthy salad tongs or an identical lengthy spoon that may can help you attain down by way of the layers. Be sure that every serving has slightly of all the pieces.
- TIP: Relying upon the scale of your serving bowl, you might want to regulate the portions of every layer. Use your judgment and have enjoyable with it.
- TO STORE: Cowl and refrigerate leftover 7 layer salad for as much as 2 days. Any unused dressing could also be saved for 2-3 days within the fridge in an hermetic container or mason jar.
Serving: 1(of 10)Energy: 236kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 13gFats: 15gSaturated Fats: 6gPolyunsaturated Fats: 2gMonounsaturated Fats: 6gTrans Fats: 0.04gLdl cholesterol: 94mgPotassium: 404mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3947IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 164mgIron: 2mg
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