Classic Crowd-Pleaser Layered Salad

This easy layered salad recipe is loaded with crisp iceberg lettuce, colourful peppers, sweet peas, celery, and Spanish onion, all topped with a creamy mayo and sour cream dressing. Finished with Parmesan and crispy bacon, it’s the perfect make-ahead salad for potlucks, holidays, BBQs, and family gatherings.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 30

Total Time 8 30

Servings: 8 people

Course: Salad

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

Salad Layers

1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 large red pepper, diced
1 large yellow pepper, diced
1 cup peas (frozen peas work fine; thaw before using)
1 vidalia onion, finely chopped
Parmesan cheese, to taste
12 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

Creamy Dressing

1 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
3 tsp sugar

Equipment

1 trifle bowl optional

Method

Prepare the dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, and sugar until smooth. Set aside.

Layer the salad:

In a large clear glass bowl or trifle dish, layer the ingredients in this order: chopped iceberg lettuce, celery, red pepper, yellow pepper, peas, chopped vidalia onion.

Add the dressing:

Spread the creamy dressing evenly over the top of the layered vegetables, making sure to cover the entire surface. This helps keep the layers crisp.

Finish with toppings:

Sprinkle a generous amount of Parmesan cheese over the dressing, then top with the crumbled bacon.

Chill:

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. This allows the flavours to blend while keeping the layers fresh and crisp.

Serve:

Scoop down through all the layers for the perfect mix of crunchy veggies, creamy dressing, and savoury bacon in every bite.

Classic Crowd-Pleaser Layered Salad