7 Layer Salad – Rachel Cooks®

Like its distant cousin 7 layer dip, 7 layer salad is a basic dish that has been a staple at potlucks, household gatherings, and yard get-togethers for many years. I believe each household has their very own go-to recipe for it, though a candy, creamy dressing, peas, hard-boiled eggs, and cheese are non-negotiable!

My aim in engaged on this recipe was to not reinvent the wheel. The wheel is invented! It’s rolling down the highway! However I did wish to mess around with proportions and the dressing to seek out absolutely the BEST option to make a basic 7 layer salad. You received’t be dissatisfied!

Previous-Original 7 layer Salad Recipe

A recipe that received’t allow you to down. I examined this recipe a number of occasions to ensure it’s good, with a wealthy, creamy dressing that doesn’t separate and the fitting stability of flavors.

Simple to make (and make forward). This salad has a comparatively brief checklist of components and you’ll prep elements of it forward of time or assemble the entire salad beforehand and let it sit within the fridge till you’re able to serve. Seven layer salad is likely one of the few lettuce salads which you can make forward and never have it grow to be wilted or soggy.

A feast for the eyes. Don’t serve it in a daily salad bowl—it’s the layers that make this salad! I believe the visible enchantment is likely one of the causes 7 layer salad is such a favourite for events.

Ingredient Notes

• Iceberg lettuce: Similar to with a wedge salad, you’ll respect iceberg lettuce in a 7 layer salad as a result of it has such a crisp, refreshing chunk and stands up properly to layering. A extra delicate inexperienced will merely get smashed on the backside of the trifle bowl. Chop the lettuce into bite-sized items.
• Cherry tomatoes: Grape tomatoes are tremendous, too. I like utilizing small tomatoes as a result of they’re much less pulpy than full-sized tomatoes, in order that they received’t launch liquid into the salad and make it too juicy.
• Purple onion: When you’re anxious concerning the onion taste overpowering the salad, use much less or tame the flavour of the chopped onions by soaking them in ice water whereas prepping the remainder of the components. (You can additionally “fast pickle” them in apple cider vinegar with a sprinkle of salt.) Drain properly and pat dry earlier than including them to the salad.
• Frozen peas: You don’t must cook dinner or thaw the frozen peas; their small dimension means they’ll thaw shortly proper within the salad. When you cook dinner them, they could grow to be too mushy or lose their shiny inexperienced colour.
• Laborious boiled eggs: I like to make use of Prompt Pot arduous boiled eggs, however air fryer boiled eggs are unbelievable too. It’s finest in the event you cook dinner the eggs forward of time in order that they have an opportunity to sit back.
• Cheddar cheese: When you’ve bought the time, shred your individual cheese for the tastiest outcomes. I like a rough shred higher than the finely shredded cheese for this salad.
• Cooked bacon: I take advantage of my baked bacon recipe or my air fryer bacon recipe to cook dinner the bacon. You are able to do this forward of time in the event you like.
• Mayonnaise: The bottom of the dressing is mayonnaise. Though you could possibly lighten issues up with Greek yogurt, I respect the richness mayonnaise provides.
• Bitter cream: Use a model with cultured cream as the one ingredient. Once we examined this recipe, we tried a retailer model that (surprisingly!) contained components and preservatives. It interacted with the opposite dressing components, inflicting the dressing to separate and grow to be too juicy.
• Sugar: Some 7 layer salads are fairly candy. I add simply sufficient sugar to make the dressing candy with out being cloying.
• Apple cider vinegar: A little bit vinegar provides a tangy kick and balances the richness of the dressing. You can substitute plain white vinegar in the event you favor.
• Salt and black pepper: I take advantage of kosher salt and freshly floor black pepper.

Find out how to Make 7 Layer Salad

Make the dressing. Whisk the mayonnaise, bitter cream, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl till easy.

Assemble. Layer the chopped lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peas, boiled eggs, dressing, and cheese in a trifle dish, on this precise order! The order is necessary to maintain the salad from changing into soggy.

Chill. Cowl the salad tightly with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate for at the very least 2 hours.

Serve. Add the bacon, then serve.

Recipe Ideas & Variations

• Dry the lettuce. After you rinse the pinnacle of lettuce, be sure you drain it properly, and pat it dry to take away as a lot of the water as doable. If there may be a variety of water nonetheless clinging to the lettuce, your salad might grow to be soggy.
• Add different veggies. You possibly can swap in celery, cucumber, radishes, or bell peppers, or add them as further layers. Inexperienced onions are a very good substitute for the purple onions in the event you’d like a milder taste.
• Use ham as an alternative of bacon. Finely cubed ham could make the salad really feel much more substantial (and it’s a good way to make use of up leftover crockpot ham!).
• Make it vegetarian. Omit the bacon or serve it on the aspect for garnish in the event you’re feeding a crowd with particular meals preferences.

Serving Concepts

I at all times affiliate 7 layer salad with cookouts, picnics, or potlucks. It’s such a big (and standard!) salad so it feeds a crowd, and you can also make it forward.

Refrigerate: Retailer any leftover 7 layer salad wrapped within the serving dish in an hermetic container within the fridge for two to three days. Though it defeats the aim of layering, I like to recommend tossing every little thing collectively earlier than serving leftover salad to freshen it up and distribute the dressing evenly.

Make forward: If you wish to prep the salad forward of time earlier than a celebration, you may layer the entire thing as much as 2 hours forward of time or layer it ONLY as much as the boiled eggs as much as a day forward of time. Then simply earlier than serving, add the dressing, cheese, and bacon.