Seven-Layer Salad

Name: Seven-Layer Salad
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded; 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved; 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced; 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced; 2 cups frozen peas, thawed; 8 cooked bacon strips, crumbled; 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded; 1 cup mayonnaise; 1/2 cup sour cream; 2 tsp granulated sugar; 2 tsp apple cider vinegar; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper

A classic American potluck salad built with layered lettuce, vegetables, bacon, peas, cheddar, and a tangy mayo dressing sealed on top. Best made ahead so the layers can meld.

25 minEasyServes 8290 cal/serving

AmericanSaladNo-CookStandardHigh FiberNut-FreeCorn-Free

Ingredients

8 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
8 cooked bacon strips, crumbled
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 tsp granulated sugar, 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper to make the dressing. Set aside.
2

In a large, straight-sided glass bowl or trifle dish, spread 8 cups shredded iceberg lettuce as the first layer.
3

Add layers in this order: 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes, 1/2 thinly sliced red onion, 4 thinly sliced celery stalks, then 2 cups thawed frozen peas.
4

Spread the prepared dressing evenly over the top of the pea layer, sealing the salad to the edges of the bowl.
5

Sprinkle 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese over the dressing, then top with 8 crumbled cooked bacon strips. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight before serving. Do not toss before serving.

Questions

Can I make Seven-Layer Salad dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in this entry is 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, 1/2 cup sour cream. Swap the cheese for a plant-based melting cheese (expect a milder flavor); the sour cream for thick coconut yogurt with a squeeze of lemon. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

Can I make Seven-Layer Salad ahead?

Yes, it takes well to being made ahead. Dressed, it is best the day it is made. Keep the components separate and refrigerated and they hold about two days; dress just before serving.

Can I halve or double Seven-Layer Salad?

Yes. As written it serves 8. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. There is no cooking pitfall here; the quantities simply scale.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,504 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.