Easy 7-Layer Salad

It seems as though there's quite a selection of 7-layer Salad recipes out there and I'm sure every family must have their own version.  This one came from my friend Maggie's mom, or at least that's how I remember it, when I first started making it at every Thanksgiving more than twenty years ago.  It's an easy, do-ahead and take-along salad that's one of our family's favorite, even among those who don't love salads or vegetables, you know who you are ;)

Easy, do-ahead, take-along 7-layer Salad

You can hardly call this a recipe and it's impossible to nail down the quantities. This is just a guideline, the salad is totally flexible, use less or more of any ingredient to suit your own taste.  Here are the seven layers:

• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• 1 TBS mayonnaise
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 box frozen tiny peas
• 1/4 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced into rings
  
• 1/2 lb Swiss cheese sliced paper thin

Layer the salad in the order given, overlapping the lettuce slightly. Smear 1/3 of the mayo over the lettuce, it won't cover the lettuce completely, just a small smear here and there. Sprinkle with 1/3 of sugar.

Scatter 1/3 of frozen peas all over, then 1/3 of the bacon, followed by a thin layer of onions.  Then a layer of cheese.

Repeat two more times, ending with the cheese. Press down on the layers if they threaten to overflow.  Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until ready to serve, for up to four hours at room temperature, longer in the fridge.  Cut into squares and serve.  Don't let the simple ingredients fool you, this is deliciously light and addictive.  Give it a try!

7-layer Salad gets better as it sits.

Here are links to some of our family's favorite Thanksgiving dishes: 

• Coconut Custard Steamed in Buttercup Squash
• Pilgrim Ice Cream
• Thai Curry Squash Soup
• Deviled Eggs with Chives
• Sweet & Sour Cucumbers
• Jalapeno Onion Relish

 Here are other folks' 7-layer Salad:

• A Veggie Venter
•  The Food Network
• cook.com