Seven Layer Salad

Seven Layer Salad

As its name implies, this colorful retro salad is composed of seven distinct layers, including vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, bacon, shredded cheese and a creamy dressing. The salad is not tossed, but gets mixed upon serving, allowing for a beautiful presentation and a dish that works well when made in advance. This recipe includes the ingredients and layers typically seen in a seven layer salad, but feel free to swap in your own favorites, using some crunchy cucumber or bell pepper in place of the peas, or avocado in place of the hard-boiled eggs. You can also have fun with the layering, as long as you keep the lettuce and tomato far from the dressing so the salad stays fresh and crisp. The optional red onion is technically an extra layer, but its sharpness works really well with the richness of the dressing, bacon and cheese.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

¾ cup mayonnaise

¾ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt and pepper

8 cups chopped iceberg lettuce (about 1 large head)

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, defrosted and patted dry

1½ cups finely chopped red onion (about ½ large onion), optional

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered

6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

1 cup/4 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar

12 ounces sliced bacon, cooked and diced or crumbled

Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar and sugar, and whisk until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste, then cover and place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill while you assemble the rest of the salad.

Place the lettuce in the bottom of a 4-quart trifle dish or a large glass bowl. (To make sure you end up with distinct layers, start layering each ingredient around the perimeter of the dish, then fill in the center.) Add the peas in an even layer, followed by the onion, if using, then the tomatoes and finally the eggs.

Spoon dollops of dressing to cover the entire surface of the egg layer, gently spreading the dressing to the edges of the dish with a spatula. Sprinkle the cheese over the dressing, followed by the bacon.

Serve right away or cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before serving. Serve the salad directly from the trifle dish, making sure to scoop straight down to reach every layer.

TIP: PS Pro tip: add a scant dash of Worcestershire to the dressing. Just a bit, but that bit makes a difference. Also, use apple cider vinegar, not white, and adjust the vinegar and sugar proportions to taste. It should be both vinegary and sweet, like so many good Southern foods.

Ms. Heuck’s recipe is informed by a beloved recipe published in Sunset Magazine’s 1982 Favorite Recipes II as Overnight Layered Green Salad. The dressing contains no vinegar. It is 2 C mayo, 2 tsps sugar, 1/2 C grated Parm, 1 tsp seasoned salt, and 1/4 tsp garlic powder. The salad included iceberg, green onions, celery, water chestnuts, and peas with the dressing on top to seal in the freshness. Just before serving, you added the bacon, egg and arranged egg and tomato wedges. So pretty, so delicious, and so homey! I agree that a splash of Worcestshire would be a great addition.

Often, I’d make this salad in a pretty clear dish or bowl, and leave it for the host as a gift along with the serving utensils and a decorative copy of the recipe.