Finding a side dish that stays fresh for a gathering is a win for any home cook. This remake of the 7 layer salad swaps traditional iceberg lettuce for a hearty leafed lettuce, creating a lighter feel while keeping all the classic flavors your family loves. The heartier lettuce will keep the salad from becoming watered down.
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Why You Will Love This 24 Hour Salad
- The prep work happens once to give you a side dish that is ready for several meals.
- Using a hearty mix instead of traditional iceberg lettuce provides a garden-fresh taste that is much more interesting than standard lettuce. It will also keep your salad from becoming too watery.
- This dish looks impressive in a glass bowl which makes it a great choice for family dinners or gatherings.
- You can customize the dressing by leaving the sugar out to ensure the greens stay as crisp as possible.
What You Will Need
- Hearty Lettuce Mix A blend of sturdy lettuce mix such as Gotham Greens, Romaine, or Butter Lettuce. Washed and dried well.
- Red Onions These add a sharp bite that balances the creamy dressing.
- Sweet Peas These provide texture and a pop of green.
- Bacon Adds a smoky crunch that everyone enjoys.
- Mayonnaise Creates the heavy lid that keeps the greens from wilting.
- Sugar Optional. Creates a sweet taste to contrast the smokey bacon.
Why Sugar Causes a 24 Hour Salad To Get Soggy
- Traditional layered salad dressings often include sugar to provide a classic flavor.
- Sugar naturally attracts and pulls moisture from its surroundings.
- Using iceberg lettuce or spring mix makes the salad vulnerable to the effects of osmosis.
- Sugar in the dressing can draw water directly out of the leaves.
- This chemical process causes the lettuce to wilt rapidly.
- Moisture pulled from watery greens such as iceberg lettuce can create a pool of water at the bottom of the glass bowl.
- Omitting sugar from the mayonnaise mixture helps the salad stay crunchy and dry.
How To make the Seven Layer Salad Recipe
- Dry the Greens Wash the spring mix thoroughly and use a salad spinner until no moisture remains on the leaves. Place the greens in the bottom of a wide-mouth glass bowl without packing them too tightly to maintain their volume.
- Layer the Vegetables Add a layer of diced bell peppers over the greens. Follow this with an even layer of sweet peas. Using frozen peas is helpful because they stay cold and slowly thaw to keep the center of the salad chilled.
- Seal with Dressing Carefully spread the mayonnaise over the peas. Use a light touch to avoid bruising the delicate spring mix. Ensure the dressing reaches all the way to the edges of the glass to create an airtight seal that keeps the vegetables fresh.
- Add Final Layers Layer the sliced red onion over the mayonnaise. Add a layer of crumbled bacon followed by a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
- Manage Moisture You may choose to add sugar as the final layer, or leave it out to keep the salad dry. The heartier lettuces will hold up to the sugar.
- Refrigerate Cover the bowl tightly and let the salad chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. This time allows the flavors to meld together, which is why the dish is often called a 24 hour salad.
- Serve Serve the salad as is or toss the salad right before serving to ensure every bite is coated.
Please visit my sides and salads page for more ideas such as my Autumn Broccoli Slaw, simple strawberry salad, strawberry mango salad, or apple salad with blue cheese and toasted walnuts.
FAQ's
For the best flavor and for the layers to set properly, the salad should chill in the fridge for at least a few hours before you mix and serve it.
Yes, absolutely! This is a fantastic make-ahead recipe that can be fully assembled and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before you plan to serve it.
Iceberg lettuce is traditionally used but heartier greens, such as Romaine or Butter Lettuce will hold up better.
Yes, you can easily replace the bacon with other cooked meats like diced ham or turkey. For a vegetarian version, you can omit the meat entirely or use a plant-based bacon substitute.
This salad is very customizable! Beyond the bell peppers and peas, you can add diced celery, broccoli florets, or even thinly sliced banana peppers for extra flavor and crunch.
While mayonnaise is traditional, you can certainly substitute it with homemade Ranch dressing recipe for a delicious alternative that still provides a creamy layer.
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Recipe
Easy Make-Ahead 7 Layer Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 10 oz bag of hearty lettuce chopped
- 2 bell peppers diced
- 1 12 ounce bag of frozen peas
- 2 cups of mayonnaise
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 1 pound of crumbled cooked bacon
- 1 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup of sugar (optional)
Method
- In a large bowl or baking dish, layer lettuce, bell peppers, and frozen peas.
- Next, spread mayonnaise. Then layer onion, bacon, parmesan cheese, and sugar (optional) in order.
- Refrigerate up to 24 in advance.
- Toss salad before serving.
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