Potluck Seven Layer Salad
Now You Know What You’re Bringing
Potluck Seven Layer Salad is a pleasing party food that you can make a day in advance.
In fact, it’s even better the longer it sits!
I’ve told this story before but I used to work in the deli of a grocery store. It was my job to make this salad every shift and it was one of my FAVORITE things to make.
For years I made this salad for every party or potluck and it is always a hit. There are several variations of this salad, but I recently updated the original Potluck Seven Layer Salad recipe by adding crunchy cauliflower rice and tomato powder to the dressing to give it some tanginess.
I think you’ll find it to be a hit at any gathering you bring it to!
Cauliflower Crunch
I love the addition of the cauliflower because it adds some crunch to this already delicious salad.
The cauliflower also holds up really well as it sits overnight. It becomes more tender but still maintains the great crunch.
Make sure you don’t use frozen cauliflower rice as this will make your salad watery as it thaws. Plus it’s only adding even more veggies!
I find this cauliflower in the refrigerator section of the produce department. I use frozen peas and add them while they’re stil frozen, since youére letting this sit overnight.
They thaw but it keeps things cold and crisp in my opinion.
Buy The Bacon
I used to take the time to make the bacon for this recipe but have since started buying Real Bacon Bits. For one, this saves a lot of time.
Secondly, I find that this bacon holds up a lot better with sitting overnight. When I used actual bacon that I cooked, it got soggy and rubbery.
These bacon bits withstand the sitting overnight part of this recipe really well and maintain their taste and texture.
The Dressing
I always make this salad with Hellmann’s Mayonnaise.
For me it HAS to be Hellmann’s for this dressing. No I wasn’t paid to say this, there is just something about this particular mayo that goes well with this salad.
While the mayo is delicious and tangy and on its own, I have started adding tomato powder to my dressing for this Potluck Seven Layer Salad. If you aren’t familiar, tomato powder is a dehydrated powder and it is JUST tomatoes. I buy this one from Amazon.
I use the tomato powder for many other recipes including my internet famous BLT Pasta Salad. I will also be posting many recipes this fall for soups and stews using this powder, so you may want to invest the $9.
If you do not want to get the powder, you can also sub ketchup which is fine. I just think the tomato powder elevates the dressing.
Many people confuse tomato powder for tomato bouillon.
Please do not make this mistake!
The bouillon one adds a lot of additional salt that will ruin your dressing.
The Full, Printable Recipe
The full, printable recipe is below. This recipe is very easy to make and everyone is going to love it.
Note that this recipe is about 30+ servings. It was written for a potluck or party dish. You can adjust this to make smaller serving sizes.
It does last for several days in the refrigerator, so you can make a lot and eat leftovers for days for lunch.
Potluck Seven Layer Salad
This salad is a great salad to feed a crowd. It has all the delicious things that can also make this salad a complete meal. Crunchy Cauliflower, Savory Bacon, Cheese and more. This salad will be a fan favorite and once you make it, you will be asked to make it every time.
Ingredients
- 3 Heads Of Romaine Lettuce
- 3 Cups of Real Bacon Bits
- 1 16 ounce Bag of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1 16 ounce Bag of Baby Peas
- 10 hardboiled eggs
- 1 extra large red onion, diced
- 1 16 ounce Bag of Riced Cauliflower (the raw refrigerated one, not frozen)
- 4 cups of mayo
- 2 tablespoons of white sugar
- 3 tablespoons of tomato powder (optional, can sub ketchup)
- 3 tablespoons of dried chives
- 2 tablespoons of dried parsley
- Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
I layer this salad in a large container 13 x 9 cupcake carrier with a lid, because it is best if you make it and let it sit overnight. You can also layer it in a trifle bowl, as it look beautiful layered.
- Chop the romaine lettuce in bite sized pieces and layer in the bottom of your dish.
- Add the red onion thats been chopped semi fine.
- Add the cauliflower rice and then the peas.
- In a bowl, mix the mayo, white sugar, black pepper, parsley, chives, and tomato powder or ketchup and whisk until smooth. This dressing should be tangy and slightly sweet. You can taste this and adjust the seasonings and herbs to your preference.
- Spread a thin layer of the dressing over the salad layers you have already created. I use about 2 cups, you can eyeball this, it doesn't have to be precise.
- Add your bacon, I use the real bacon bits, you can also make a pound of bacon and chop it very small. Spread the bacon over the whole salad.
- Slice your hardboiled eggs into thin slices and spread over the salad.
- Add the rest of the dressing and spread over the entire salad.
- Add the cheddar cheese over the whole top, I sprinkle extra chives and parsley over the top of the cheese, you can also use sliced green onions and/or diced tomatoes.
- Refrigerate at least 4 hours, its best kept overnight before serving. You can toss to serve but it looks beautiful served in "slices".
Family Favorite
I made this salad just yesterday for a family party and really enjoyed watching people go up for seconds, thirds, and I even saw one person go for a fourth serving.
My uncle isn’t a big foodie and he told me that this was the best salad he ever had.
He had said his favorite salad ever is the Chopped Salad from Portillo’s and that this was even better than that! I took that as the highest compliment.
He did say there were too many onions, because he isn’t a big onion guy. That is something to consider because the red onions can be strong especially after they sit overnight so you should adjust according to your tastes and the tastes of your friends and family.
I hope you enjoy this salad as much as we do!