This salad positively screams the 60’s. I have a copy in my recipe box, there’s a copy in mom’s. It was at every holiday meal and everyone would have been disappointed if it wasn’t. You could change it up with crab or shrimp. You could turn it into a Chef’s salad. My favorite part was having the dressing on top when you were ready to go.
How do some recipes become such a ubiquitous part of an era? And then, where do they go? When was the last time you saw a 7-layer salad? Well, I’m going to change that at our house. Ever since I spotted the recipe cards, I’ve been possessed to make one. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be part of my summer rotation especially adding a layer of crab. Num!
The other thing that makes this special is the bowl. Yes, I’m a bowlaholic, but there aren’t any meetings to help with this and I wouldn’t go if there were. I love bowls big and small. (Don’t even start me on my drinking glass selection.) Back when this salad was first popular, I remember it was served in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Awkward. The first serving was always a mess waiting to happen. Now I’ve found the perfect straight sided bowl making it possible to see all the layers plus have some room to mix in the dressing.
In a 9 x 13 inch baking dish or a straight sided bowl layer:
½ head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
½ red onion, sliced and separated
½ pound ham, sliced or cubed
1 cup corn kernels
½ pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 to 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Combine dressing ingredients and spread on salad. Keep chilled until ready to serve. It will stay fairly crisp for a goodly amount of time on a buffet table.
* From the Recipe Box:
Crab or shrimp makes a good layer instead of the ham.
I like romaine and shredded cabbage as the first layer as well.
and remember: Everything becomes funnier when you aren’t allowed to laugh. Big kiss, Lynn
From the Recipe Box 