Go Back

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 minutes
8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes
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:
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, and sugar until smooth. Set aside.
Layer the salad:
  1. 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:
  1. 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:
  1. Sprinkle a generous amount of Parmesan cheese over the dressing, then top with the crumbled bacon.
Chill:
  1. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. This allows the flavours to blend while keeping the layers fresh and crisp.
Serve:
  1. Scoop down through all the layers for the perfect mix of crunchy veggies, creamy dressing, and savoury bacon in every bite.