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I’ve been making, eating, and enjoying 7 Layer Salad for the past 40+ years. This classic Midwestern side dish is a staple at potlucks, barbecues, neighborhood block parties, and family reunions, and it’s just as tasty now as it was back then.
If you’re from Ohio, you probably want to toss the salad before serving. It sounds crazy to me, but that’s how they do it! And to the sub-section of the population that adds hard-boiled eggs to your salad, please carry on. That sounds like a fabulous addition.
With over 500 5-star reviews, you can trust that this version is the very best and the one that will take you on a trip down memory lane – right back to your own childhood where you loved a hearty bowl of 7 Layer Salad, too.
Table of Contents
7 Layer Salad Ingredients:
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes:
- Lettuce: Iceberg, crispy head lettuce, or Romaine.
- Red onion: I love the color of this one, but you can substitute white, yellow, or sweet onion if you prefer. Tame harsh raw onions by soaking in ice water for 10 minutes, then draining well.
- Celery: A few ribs for extra crunch.
- Peas: Run frozen peas under cold water until thawed and drain well.
- Mayonnaise: Plain, good quality mayo like Hellman’s or Best Foods is perfect.
- Sugar: A little sugar transforms your mayo into salad dressing, but you can leave it out if you want to.
- Cheddar cheese: Or change the cheese to the one you love like smoked provolone, blue cheese, or feta cheese.
- Bacon: You could layer in some turkey or ham instead of the bacon.
How to make Seven Layer Salad:
Before you begin, you should decide on what bowl to use for your layered salad. A clear glass bowl shows off all the hard work you put into chopping the vegetables. And a clear glass bowl with straight sides makes it easy to assemble.
- First layer: In the bottom of the bowl, spread the shredded lettuce
- Second layer: A thin layer of chopped red onion
- Third layer: Chopped celery
- Fourth layer: Peas
- Fifth layer: Spread the mayo over everything and sprinkle with a little sugar
- Sixth layer: Shredded cheddar cheese
- Seventh layer: Crispy chopped bacon
4. Cover the salad up with plastic wrap and chill for a at least a couple hours.
How to Make 7 Layer Salad Ahead of time:
This salad is a make-ahead marvel! The salad needs to chill for a couple of hours anyway, but you can safely make it a full day ahead if needed. The flavor gets better as it sits! The key to make Seven Layer Salad in advance is to ensure all of the layers are totally dry. Spin that lettuce in a salad spinner or blot with clean kitchen towels. Your peas should go in thawed, not frozen. Celery and onion aren’t water-logged anyway, so you’ll be good to go there. And the mayonnaise layer provides a nice moisture barrier for the cheese and bacon. I’m always surprised at how well the leftovers hold up here, too!
7 Layer Salad Recipe Tips & Variations:
- Hard Boiled Eggs: Not in my Seven layer salad! But many people say that’s how they make it.
- Miracle Whip: Substitute Miracle Whip for the mayo if you are a Miracle Whip fan. The only difference between them is that the salad dressing Miracle Whip already has added sugar, paprika, and garlic powder.
- Sour cream: Some cooks love mixing half mayo, half sour cream for a tangier dressing.
- Parmesan cheese: A few tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese taste great added to the mayo.
- Extra veggies: Change out your layers for different vegetables like bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, scallions
- More toppings: Not traditional, but avocado, olives, and crunchy fried onions are so good!
More delicious salads:
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Seven Layer Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 head lettuce shredded
- 1/2 cup red onion diced (see note 1)
- 2-3 celery ribs sliced (about 1 cup)
- 12 ounces frozen peas thawed (see note 2)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (see note 3)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 pound bacon fried and crumbled
Instructions
- Spread the lettuce evenly in the bottom of a glass bowl. Top with red onion, celery, and peas.
- Spread mayonnaise on top of celery and sprinkle with sugar. Top with cheddar cheese and bacon. Cover and chill.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Red onion: I love the color of this one, but you can substitute white, yellow, or sweet onion if you prefer. Tame harsh raw onions by soaking in ice water for 10 minutes, then draining well.
- Peas: Run frozen peas under cold water until thawed and drain well.
- Sugar: A little sugar transforms your mayo into salad dressing, but you can leave it out if you want to.
I love this recipe! I forgot all about this salad, my grandma used to make it. A truly delicious blast from the past! It’s fun to make it for people who have never heard of or tried it. They are always skeptical then end up asking for the recipe. 🙂 Thanks for sharing! Oh, btw, Grandma never put eggs in hers either!
You’re welcome, Kimberley! I’m so happy that this brought back some wonderful memories, and I’m right there with your grandma! I love that you’re introducing it to others, and it’s fantastic that they end up loving it too. 🙂 Thanks so much for writing, take care! – Meggan
The salad looks delicious. The extra notes were very helpful in sparking the imagination. If you substituted French Fried Onion instead of bacon, you have a vegetarian dish. I make a variation especially for the fall time that everyone raves about; lettuce, red onion, frozen peas, red, orange, and yellow colored peppers mixed, cooked chicken thigh cubes lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, mayo mixed with coconut sugar, and craisins in that order. It’s fantastic!
Great tips, thank you Ruby! – Meggan
How do I keep my lettuce from becoming wilted ?
Hi Jenny, thank you for your question! Make sure to use a lettuce such as Romaine or Iceberg, layer or build the salad in the order listed in the recipe, and cover the salad well with plastic wrap before chilling. I hope this helps! Please write back with any more questions! – Meggan
My mom made this her ” summer dish” with one layer being canned red salmon and another sliced hard cooked eggs. Its so versatile .
I’m making this favorite for Easter dinner because it’s a make-ahead dish. I will be leaving out the eggs(😕) because if an egg allergy I’m the family. Will be using Hellman’s Vegan mayo for the same reason
Hi Linda, I hope you love it! Happy Easter! – Meggan
This is so good! I gave it a 5 because I love your writing style and the extra comments you added about what you can sub even though they may not be your preferences. Lol! Everyone have their likes and dislikes. I do add boiled eggs, but I omit the celery. I’ve also mixed Ranch Dressing mix with Miracle Whip before, which gives it a really good “bite”. Thank you for sharing. 😁
Thank you so much, Judy! We all do! Thank you so much for sharing yours! Ranch dressing mix is near and dear to my heart and would be amazing in this, YUM! Take care! – Meggan
I would use romaine and some fresh spinach to include more green. Iceberg lettuce doesn’t quite do it for me. But this is the same recipe my Mom used to make. It’s a tried and true for me in all. Thank you Culinary Hill, Meggan.
You’re so welcome, M.L.! Love the addition of some darker greens, yum! – Meggan
I do put boiled eggs in my seven layer salad. I also put bacon, tomato and cucumber. Sometimes it ends up being more than 7 layers. I sometimes put cauliflower and broccoli as well. Cheese goes on the top. I do not put any mayo but leave the salad for dressing of choice. Much better. It is delicious and very good the next day.
Hi Rebecca, your additions sound really great. I make it the way my mom and grandma always made it, but I love your ideas. I do think the mayonnaise dressing can be off-putting for some (my children, for example) and so dressing on the side would fix that problem. Thank you so much for your comment! -Meggan
What size bowl for a double recipe?
Hi Jackie, I usually make this as written in a 4-quart bowl, so you’ll definitely need something larger, or split between two dishes. Take care! – Meggan
can you make a day before
Hi Mary, yes! Make sure the vegetables are dried before layering. Make as directed and cover with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate. Take care! – Meggan