23 Layered Salad Recipes that Really Stack Up (2024)

Home Recipes Salads

23 Layered Salad Recipes that Really Stack Up (1)

ByCaroline Stanko

Taste of Home's Editorial Process

Updated: Feb. 02, 2024

    Treat your family to something special with one of these gorgeous salads! From layered veggies to taco toppings, and even gelatin, these layered salad recipes are as beautiful as they are delicious.

    1/23

    Make-Ahead Hearty Six-Layer Salad

    This salad is an all-time favorite. I reach for the recipe whenever I need a dish to pass. It’s easy to make, can be assembled ahead of time and looks great. —Noreen Meyer, Madison, Wisconsin

    Get Recipe

    2/23

    3/23

    Tropical Layered Chicken Salad

    This is a fresh and delicious recipe that is a big hit whenever I take it to a potluck—it's always the first to go! —Frances Pietsch, Flower Mound, Texas

    Go to Recipe

    4/23

    Taste of Home

    Blueberry Cantaloupe Salad

    The simple citrus and poppy seed dressing in this fruit medley really dresses up the refreshing mix of berries and melon. —R. Jean Rand, Edina, Minnesota

    Go to Recipe

    5/23

    Colorful Cornbread Salad

    When my garden comes in, I harvest the veggies for potluck dishes. I live in the South, and we think bacon and cornbread make everything better, even salad! —Rebecca Clark, Warrior, Alabama

    Go to Recipe

    6/23

    Taste of Home

    Layered Grilled Corn Salad

    This has been a go-to dish for me throughout the years. It's great as a side or can be served for a light lunch in lettuce cups, with warm crusty bread. —Angela Smith, Bluffton, South Carolina

    Go to Recipe

    7/23

    Taste of Home

    Red, White 'n' Blue Salad

    Our striking "flag" salad drew plenty of attention at our Independence Day party. The shimmering stripes are formed with distinctive gelatin layers. It makes you want to salute before spooning some up! —Laurie Neverman, Green Bay, Wisconsin

    Go to Recipe

    8/23

    Taste of Home

    Potluck Taco Salad

    I found this recipe in an old school cookbook, and I've taken it to many potlucks since then. The layers look so pretty in a glass bowl. —Sandy Fynaardt, New Sharon, Iowa

    Go to Recipe

    9/23

    Taste of Home

    Grandma's Spinach Salad

    With all its fresh ingredients, this pretty spinach salad was my grandma’s favorite. Even my little ones like it (but don’t tell them spinach is good for them)! —Shelley Riebel, Armada, Michigan

    Go to Recipe

    10/23

    12-Hour Salad

    This recipe was Mom's scrumptious scheme to get her kids to eat vegetables. She never had any trouble when she served this colorful crunchy salad. Mom thought this salad was a real bonus for the cook since it must be made the night before. —Dorothy Bowen, Thomasville, North Carolina

    Go to Recipe

    11/23

    Layered Garden Bean Salad

    For easy entertaining, cover and refrigerate the salad a few hours before guests arrive so you don't have to bother with last-minute assembly. Turn it into a light lunch by adding sliced rotisserie chicken, salmon or tuna. —Melissa Wharton, Cincinnati, Ohio

    Go to Recipe

    12/23

    Orange Gelatin Pretzel Salad Recipe photo by Taste of Home

    Orange Gelatin Pretzel Salad

    Salty pretzels pair nicely with the sweet fruit in this refreshing layered salad. It’s a family favorite that is a slam-dunk at potlucks. —Peggy Boyd, Northport, Alabama

    Go to Recipe

    13/23

    Mexican Layered Salad

    Here’s another popular dish I like to prepare in advance, adding the cheese and chips just before serving. It’s a slightly different version of the traditional layered salad.—Joan Hallford, North Richland Hills, Texas

    Go to Recipe

    14/23

    Layered Salad for a Crowd

    This salad is a favorite of my three sons. I took it to a luncheon honoring our school district’s food service manager, and she asked for the recipe. I like to make the dressing the day before so the flavors blend together. —Linda Ashley, Leesburg, Georgia

    Go to Recipe

    15/23

    Taste of Home

    Layered Veggie Tortellini Salad

    Tortellini and a Parmesan dressing give this layered salad an unexpected twist. It's great for a potluck. —Dennis Vitale, New Preston, Connecticut

    Go to Recipe

    16/23

    Southern Cornbread Salad

    To feed a crowd, especially when I want to make a good impression, I make this eye-popping cornbread salad. It’s beautiful in a trifle bowl. I love it in summer, when we can make it with our own garden produce. —Debbie Johnson, Centertown, Missouri

    Go to Recipe

    17/23

    Taste of Home

    Patriotic Gelatin Salad

    Almost as spectacular as the fireworks, this lovely salad makes quite a "bang" at our July Fourth meal. It's exciting to serve, and our guests loved the cool fruity and creamy layers. This salad really added to my patriotic theme. —Sue Gronholz, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

    Go to Recipe

    18/23

    Taste of Home

    Layered Broccoli Salad

    Everyone enjoys this simple salad with dinner. The layers look festive, and the crisp broccoli, sunflower seeds and bacon are a nice contrast to the chewy bits of dried cranberries.—Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon

    Go to Recipe

    19/23

    Overnight Layered Lettuce Salad

    This layered salad is a family favorite from a church cookbook I've had for 40 years. The bacon adds a fabulous crunch. —Mary Brehm, Cape Coral, Florida

    Go to Recipe

    20/23

    21/23

    Taste of Home

    Layered Taco Salad

    I invented this taco salad to make my kids happy. Make it with ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken and it's equally good. —Betty Nickels, Tampa, Florida

    Go to Recipe

    22/23

    Layered Cornbread Salad

    When the garden comes in, we harvest the veggies and layer them with cornbread and sweet relish for this snappy salad. Everyone wants seconds. —Rebecca Clark, Warrior, Alabama

    Go to Recipe

    23/23

    Taste of Home

    Favorite Layered Salad

    This salad offers the best that summer produce has to offer, and it looks so beautiful layered in a glass bowl. It's almost too pretty to dig into…almost! And it's perfect for potlucks. —Jodi Anderson, Overbrook, Kansas

    Go to Recipe

    Originally Published: March 01, 2018

    Author

    Caroline Stanko

    As editor, Caroline researches, writes and edits all things food and beverage and helps produce videos for Taste of Home. With seven years at TOH under her belt, Caroline has worked on the print, SIP and digital teams. When she’s not at her desk, you can probably find Caroline mixing up a killer co*cktail, reading a dog-eared library book or cooki...

    Read More

    23 Layered Salad Recipes that Really Stack Up (22)

    23 Layered Salad Recipes that Really Stack Up (2024)

    FAQs

    What is 7 layer salad made of? ›

    Seven-layer salad, possibly rooted in the American South, has become a staple of home-cooked Midwestern cuisine. Exact ingredients vary by household, but lettuce, cheese, bacon, peas, boiled eggs, and a sauce made of mayonnaise or sour cream are among the most referenced.

    What can I put in a salad to make it more interesting? ›

    How to make salad more interesting
    1. Add texture with roasted seeds or nuts. Seeds and nuts are a great salad topper. ...
    2. Make it more filling with whole grains. ...
    3. Beans and other legumes add plant-based protein. ...
    4. Fresh herbs add lots of flavour. ...
    5. Sweeten your salad with fruit. ...
    6. Make sure your salad is properly seasoned.

    What can you bulk up a salad with? ›

    Meat-lovers can try sliced chicken, turkey, ham, spicy cooked beef, prosciutto and cooked and crumbled bacon; fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and prawns work well; and vegetarians can add eggs, tofu, cheese, nuts and seeds.

    What is ambrosia salad made of? ›

    Ambrosia Fruit Salad

    The best Ambrosia Salad recipe is made with pineapple, mandarin oranges, yogurt, mini marshmallows, coconut and whipped cream. This easy side dish has a delicious tropical sweetness and is always a crowd favorite!

    What are 5 components of a satisfying salad? ›

    • High quality greens. This means just about anything BUT iceberg. ...
    • Protein. Consider animal-based proteins like salmon, shrimp, chicken, beef or turkey. ...
    • Temperatures. Alix loves to toss a salad with some roasted cherry tomatoes, broccoli or cauliflower. ...
    • Dressing. ...
    • Textures.
    Sep 27, 2018

    What is a good protein to put on salad? ›

    Add your protein
    • lean meat: chicken or turkey breast, lean steak.
    • lower-fat cheese: light cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, feta, goat cheese.
    • legumes: kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, white or black beans.
    • eggs: hard boiled.
    • soy products: cubed tofu, edamame.
    • fish and seafood: tuna, salmon, shrimp, sardines.

    What is the key to a good salad? ›

    The secret to a good salad
    • Be gentle with lettuce. Balsamic dressing. ...
    • Serve up perfect avocado. Forget lemon juice or cold water – the only way to stop an avocado going brown in a salad is to peel and chop them right before serving. ...
    • Say goodbye to onion tears. ...
    • Adore your dressing. ...
    • Sprinkle in some protein.

    What is extremely important in salad making? ›

    Balance, Texture and Contrast

    You need to have contrast when eating a major salad, otherwise it gets boring, and quickly. Carrots and avocados and roasted onion are very different from one another, but bound together by a beautiful dressing, they contrast in texture, but are balanced on the palate.

    How do you spruce up a boring salad? ›

    12 Easy Tricks To Make Salad Not Just A Boring Bowl Of Veggies
    1. Add fruit. There's no reason why you can't add your favourite seasonal fruit to your salad. ...
    2. Marinate your protein. ...
    3. Add roast veggies. ...
    4. Use LOTS of herbs and spices. ...
    5. Add pasta or noodles. ...
    6. Take inspiration from your favourite cuisines. ...
    7. Add quinoa or rice. ...
    8. Add colour.
    Jan 15, 2017

    What is the history of the 7 layer salad? ›

    This classic seven-layer salad is thought to have originated in the 1950's in the South where it was referred to as seven-layer pea salad. Although there have been variations since the 1950's the basic structure of the salad as remained the same.

    How many calories are in a 7 layer salad? ›

    Seven-layer Salad (lettuce Salad Made With A Combination Of Onion, Celery, Green Pepper, Peas, Mayonnaise, Cheese, Eggs, And/or Bacon) (1 cup) contains 7.3g total carbs, 5.7g net carbs, 25.9g fat, 5.6g protein, and 281 calories.

    What is the main ingredient of bound salad? ›

    Bound salad: ingredients such as meat, poultry, fish, egg, or starch such as potato, pasta, or rice and bound with mayo. Vegetable salad: cooked and/or raw vegetables (coleslaw); can be bound with mayo or mixed with vinegar/oil dressing.

    How to make a weekly salad? ›

    Salads that stay fresh all week use separate containers for toppings and dressing to keep crunchy foods crunchy. Prep the toppings and dressing so the entire salad will be ready to grab when needed – just mix the containers together before eating. Meal prep salad is a lot like building a salad you'd eat right away.

    Top Articles
    Latest Posts
    Article information

    Author: Merrill Bechtelar CPA

    Last Updated:

    Views: 5624

    Rating: 5 / 5 (70 voted)

    Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

    Author information

    Name: Merrill Bechtelar CPA

    Birthday: 1996-05-19

    Address: Apt. 114 873 White Lodge, Libbyfurt, CA 93006

    Phone: +5983010455207

    Job: Legacy Representative

    Hobby: Blacksmithing, Urban exploration, Sudoku, Slacklining, Creative writing, Community, Letterboxing

    Introduction: My name is Merrill Bechtelar CPA, I am a clean, agreeable, glorious, magnificent, witty, enchanting, comfortable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.