More is More (Recipe: 7 Layer Salad with 9 Layers)
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I often wondered what gives recipes staying power. Sometimes recipes will be wildly popular for a while and then fade away. What might be this year’s most sought after recipe will only be forgotten about next year. Obviously, a dish must taste good in order for it to become popular. But once it gains popularity, there’s no assurance it will stay in the spotlight.
Seven Layer Salad is a recipe that has staying power. I’ve known about it for over 30 years and it keeps turning up at covered dish suppers, baby showers, family gatherings and picnics. Not only does it turn up, it gets eaten. Folks genuinely like the taste of this salad.
Whoever was smart enough to think of lining the top layer of the salad bowl with peas is a pure out-and-out genius. Not only do peas keep the salad dressing from getting to the lettuce and making it soggy, they make the salad unique. You don’t often expect to find raw peas as part of a green salad. Maybe this salad doesn’t qualify as a green salad. It does have bacon, eggs and cheese in it. When you get right down to it, there’s a whole bunch of things about this salad that makes it interesting. I realize that you could put the dressing over the cheese, bacon or even the egg layer and it would serve the same purpose as the peas in that it would keep the salad dressings from getting to the lettuce making it soggy. The peas are just so unexpected. Maybe it’s time for me to stop swooning over the peas in this salad. One last thing before I stop obsessing over them. With the dressing poured on top of the peas and the some of the peas popping through, I don’t even think the top of the salad needs to be garnished. Once again, “Yea for the peas!”
The ingredients can be suited to your liking. Use your favorite type of cheese that shreds well. Substitute your favorite raw veggies for any of the layers. If you use tomatoes, I recommend a cherry type because of a lower water content. If you use a regular tomato, you should deseed it and squeeze out most of the juice. I suppose you could use ham for the bacon but why would you want to do that? Eggs are eggs and nothing else compares so you may want to use eggs. There are any number of variations for the salad dressing. I prefer the mayo/Ranch dressing/sugar combo that I include as part of this recipe and I don’t vary from that. It goes without saying that I think you stick with the peas and certainly include them.
My salad wound up with 9 layers. That’s perfectly all right. You can have 6 layers or 10. This is a very forgiving dish.
The amount of ingredients for each layer will depend largely on the size of your dish. I used a standard trifle dish and fill the center with lettuce and spinach and layer the rest of the ingredients along the outside so they show up nice and pretty in the clear bowl. I would recommend you do the same. The spectacular colors are one of the best things about this dish. And the peas. They’re spectacular, too!
Y’all come see us!
7 Layer Salad with 9 Layers
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 package fresh baby spinach
4 or 5 radishes, thinly sliced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
6 to 8 sliced bacon, cooked and chopped
4 boiled eggs, sliced
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1 (10 ounce) package frozen English peas, partially thawed
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I prefer Duke’s)
1/2 Ranch dressing
1 tablespoon sugar
Layer lettuce and then spinach in the bottom of the bowl. Reserve some of both to build up the center so the rest of the ingredients can go along the side of the bowl.
Lettuce and spinach. Starting to build the layers.
It’s hard to tell in the above pictures that I’m mounding the lettuce and spinach in the center. I used my OXO hand-held mandoline to thinly slice radishes. Look how perfect they are! The picture below makes it a little easier to see the mound in the center.
Radishes are the next layer. Spinach and lettuce are mounded in the center.
Continue layering the next four ingredients in order concentrating them on the outside of the dish. The cheese is spread over the entire dish in an even layer. Peas go on top of the cheese and the peas evenly cover the cheese. Mix together mayonnaise, Ranch dressing and sugar. Pour over the peas. Cover and refrigerate overnight before serving. Some recommend tossing the salad before serving. I don’t ever do that. I let folks serve themselves and get as much or as little of the dressing as they prefer. That’s the way I roll.
7 Layer Salad with 9 Layers after sitting the refrigerator overnight.
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I can confess to knowing about “green pea layered salad” for 30 (or more) years. It’s the special event salad…and while the one I use is a little different … it’s the same concept and always includes the peas, bacon and cheese! I think this serves as a reminder for my Mother’s Day menu.
I just found your site…via Pinterest. Being a Virginia girl – from Appomattox no less, I appreciate the southern concept of cooking, along with everyother kind!
Have a great week!
Karen,
I’m thrilled you found us and hope you continue to visit forever and ever. Amen!
Not only is VA rich in US history, it has a long and wonderful culinary history, too.
Welcome home, Karen!:)
Morning Jackie…this dish has remained on my to do list of things to serve for sometime. It’s always good and can be made ahead. As long as the mayo keeps the top sealed it will last for several days. No tomatoes or watery veggies have been added to mine but the cherry tomatoes might work if it is to be eaten soon. I let them decide how much dressing they want too. Never had anybody turn it down but I have completely run out of bowl before I got all my goodies in. Guess my eyes and veggies were bigger than my bowl! Whoda thunk?
Jean,
I always run into the same veggie to bowl space issues, too! After I get all the veggies layered in before I start on the eggs, bacon and cheese, I squish down the veggies layers as much as I can without damaging them. It never fails that I more than I can fit!
I found another variation of this many years ago Jackie, spinach instead of lettuce and Swiss cheese , dressing is similar but I skip the ranch and add a touch of vinegar. All variations disappear in a flash!
Mary Ann,
All those variation are what have made this salad stand the test of time. You can substitute the veggies, too. Plus, there’s a million ways to make the dressing. This is a versatile little number, indeed!
Oh! And water chestnuts add crunch too!
Mary Ann,
Water chestnuts are a great idea! Thanks for the tip!
You can never go wrong with this salad. It has been a favorite of mine for years.
Beverly,
I completely agree with you! There are so many versions and variations you could have it all the time and not feel like you’re eating the same thing.
Mornin’ Jackie – I love this salad, especially the peas!! Your dressing sounds so good I’ll be making it the next time I make this salad. Thanks for a new look for this wonderful salad! Have a good week, and if you’re not posting again before Mother’s Day….Happy Mother’s Day!!!!
Mary,
I hope you enjoy a wonderful Mother’s Day, too!
Yes, great idea for Mother’s Day, as this is definitely a classic family recipe! I remember vividly my first taste of 7-Layer Salad in Wichita KS, 1977. The recipe came to me as “Gloria’s Layered Salad”, I love it to this day
Thank you dear Jackie! xoxo
Michele,
Thank you for sharing your story of introduction to “Gloria’s Salad”! I’ve never heard it called that.
Have a happy Mother’s Day!
Found your site on RecipesUS and thought I’d stop by and check it out. I have subscribed to your feed and can’t wait to see what the next post will be!
CJ,
Thanks for stopping by! I’m off to visit your site right now!!
Hi Jackie
Ya just never have enough of it 
Happpy Mothers Day to ya and Thanks for this!
I got this recipe along with others when a friend made me a recipe box as a wedding gift over fifty years ago. We love and use it often. We add walnuts and when we make this salad we use a punch bowl
Anita,
I’ve used a punch bowl before, too! Thanks for the tip about walnuts. Nuts would be a nice addition!
Oh, I love salads like this. I have a recipe very similar from a friend but haven’t made it in forever. We don’t do bacon in our house except on the VERY rare occasion and I just don’t think it would taste the same using turkey bacon.
Sue,
Turkey bacon would work just fine!