Mom’s 7 Layer Salad
I’m so excited to share this recipe with you today! This 7 Layer Salad recipe is a family favorite of mine from growing up. My Mom has made this recipe for many years, and today, I’m sharing it with you!
This 7 Layer Salad is simple to make and I promise, it will please a crowd!
This past Christmas I was in charge of bringing a salad to my in-laws and I didn’t want to take a boring bag salad with dressing. I wanted to take something I thought they’d really enjoy so I called my Mom and asked her to share her recipe!
Thankfully, my in-laws enjoyed it and it rekindled my love of this 7 Layer Salad, too! My boys really like this salad as well and I’ve made it again since Christmas and they’ve gobbled it up!
How do you make 7 layer salad?
This recipe is simple!
I promise it’s not complicated at all… in fact, you’ll never find an overly complicated recipe on my blog.
I love simple, delicious recipes.
You’ll start by cutting up the lettuce and cleaning it. I love using a salad spinner to clean my lettuce. I cut up the lettuce, put it inside with a little water and let the spinner go to work. It works perfect every time!
After cleaning the lettuce you will
- Cook the bacon
- Clean and dice all the veggies
- Layer it all in a 9×13
- Refrigerate prior to serving
I believe family recipes should be shared.
If they aren’t, we can’t continue to pass down those memories and traditions. I hope someday my kids will want to share their favorite recipe of mine that reminds them of their childhood.
I have fond memories of many recipes of my Mom and my Grandma that I love to make for my own family!
This 7 Layer Salad is great for social gatherings!
- Holiday gatherings
- Potluck dinner
- Super Bowl party
- Summer BBQ
- Birthday party
- Anywhere you are in charge of bringing veggies!
On my Mom’s original recipe card she has written “Believe it or not this salad can be kept for about a week before the lettuce begins to wilt” So far, it hasn’t lasted a week at our house to test her theory because we eat it all in a few days!
I hope you enjoy my Mom’s 7 Layer Salad as much as I have through the years. If you serve it, I’d love to hear how your friends and family enjoyed it!
If you are looking for another salad recipe, check out my Southwest Chicken Salad as well! Or if you need a salad to take to a gathering my Honey Lime Fruit Salad is perfect!
Mom’s 7 Layer Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head lettuce chopped
- 1/2 cup celery chopped
- 1/2 green pepper chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas uncooked
- 1/4 cup red onion chopped
- 15 oz mayo
- 1 TBS sugar
- 4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
- 10 oz center cut bacon fried & chopped
Instructions
- Place chopped lettuce in a 9×13 pan.
- Cook bacon in skillet and allow to cool.
- Chop all remaining vegetables and layer on top of lettuce in this order- celery, pepper, onion and peas.
- Spread mayonnaise on top of vegetables and sprinkle with sugar.
- Add shredded cheese and top with crumbled bacon.
- Mom says you MUST cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. (If you don’t have that much time 1-2 hours is sufficient)
Notes
Nutrition
Photo Credit: Jennifer Draper
Just like my great grandma made….with the 2 tablespoons sugar
It’s such a wonderful family recipe!!! I hope it lives on forever!
Can you substitute any other vegetable for the peas
You could do green peppers or corn and I think those would work great. Or broccoli. Really any other vegetable you like that has some crunch to it.
my mom’s Seven Layer Salad is similarly delicious: lettuce, sliced water chestnuts, green onions, peas…cover with mayo then top with bacon & colby cheese. you’re right, it doesn’t last long! thanks
It’s a family favorite! I bet the water chestnuts add a nice crunch!!! Thanks so much for leaving a rating! I appreciate it so much 🙂
My recipe from years ago substitutes sliced hard boiled eggs instead of the green pepper.
That would be yummy too!
Made this tonight! My pepper were chopped and frozen, so defrosted them throughout the day… still lots of moisture. I ended up adding it to the dressing with the emulsifier. (Didn’t have enough mayo do also added Greek plain yogurt & Sour cream). It was a bit different from the original 7 layer salad, but very tasty!!
Had do e bread rolls I needed to use up do made croutons with them! Yum!
I have made this for years but never added sugar. The mayo is good enough with its sugar. I love this recipe.
I usually don’t add the sugar, but my family recipe has the sugar in it! Glad you love it!