Seven Layer Salad

By Lidey Heuck

Updated July 22, 2025

Seven Layer Salad
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(224)
Comments
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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.

Featured in: The 23 Best Salads of All Time

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Ingredients

Yield:10 to 12 servings
  • ¾cup mayonnaise
  • ¾cup sour cream
  • 1tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1teaspoon sugar
  • Salt and pepper
  • 8cups chopped iceberg lettuce (about 1 large head)
  • 1(10-ounce) package frozen peas, defrosted and patted dry
  • 1½cups finely chopped red onion (about ½ large onion), optional
  • 1pint cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
  • 6hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
  • 1cup/4 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar
  • 12ounces sliced bacon, cooked and diced or crumbled
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

348 calories; 30 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 491 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    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.

  2. Step 2

    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.

  3. Step 3

    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.

  4. Step 4

    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.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
224 user ratings
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Comments

Felix

This is by far the best salad ever. Where I come from (SC), it is requisite post-funeral fare. I was well into middle age before I figured out that nobody had to die in order for me to partake.

Felix

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.

Russ Wilcox

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.

Christy

This sounded like the perfect decadent lunch salad but I just couldn't do it with the mayo. I ate it once and couldn't do it again...maybe a creamy mayo-alternative dressing (tahini? a blended cashew dressgin?) would've made it palatable for me.

Vivian

This is my husband's favorite salad. I use iceberg lettuce, sliced green onions, sliced water chestnuts or jicama (my preference if available), celery, and frozen green peas. Dressing is a mixture of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt, a small amount of sugar, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and a little bit of pickle juice to give it a bit of a twang. Toppings are grated Parmesan, bacon and HB eggs and tomatoes. I like that it can/should be done ahead of time.

WWD

This salad recipe has been around for at least 80 years well before being published in Sunset. Gosh, folks, this is a framework recipe. Just add/omit/change to whatever you want and let's stop with the superfluous stuff.

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