Layered Bacon Pea Salad Recipe
Layered Bacon Pea Salad Recipe is made with layers of pasta and peas, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and topped with a dressing, bacon and basil!
Friends, I originally posted this recipe when my niece got married a few years ago. We served it at her bridal shower, and of course everyone raved about it. Who doesn’t love a good, old-fashioned Layered Bacon Pea Salad recipe that’s been around forever?
Layered Bacon Pea Salad Recipe
All you need are these ingredients:
Medium pasta shells
Frozen peas
Shredded lettuce
Hard-cooked eggs
Red onion
Roma tomatoes
Jack or Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Mayonnaise
Sour cream
Sugar + salt + pepper
Bacon
Fresh basil
A newer, different version is my Barbecued Chicken Layered Pasta Salad recipe.
Layered Pea Salad
This time we brought it back for summer, and have served it several times this year already. Once at a front-deck dinner party, and then we’ve brought it to several potlucks.
It’s the perfect summer salad, because it’s vibrant, delicious (mm-m-m … the dressing), and so pretty when served in a glass dish!
Back to the fall bridal shower a few years ago. We had so much fun! We served a “salad” smorgasboard, with fresh bread, which is super fun for a shower or potluck! And “fall” mum cupcakes were the center star!
Also love this yummy Apricot Almond Appetizer.
Moments
My sisters and I created a special moment for our dear niece, Kayla. Even though it’s been almost 4 years now, I think about moments–how they come and go–but they live in our hearts forever. (I miss my sisters and my niece!)
This salad is also my sister, Diane’s, specialty (her family’s favorite as well), and one that my mom and her sisters would make for potlucks and parties year after year. There’s nothing like a “classic.”
Layered Bacon Pea Salad Recipe
So, a week ago I made a video how to put this salad together.
All these delicious ingredients.
Ready, set … GO!
For camping, my niece, Lisa, layers all the ingredients in a Ziploc bag, pressing the air out of it, and then when it’s time to serve, place it in a large bowl. Then you put the dressing and bacon on top.
What I also love about this salad is you can make it any time of year. It’s great for any season, because you use frozen peas.
But my favorite season? Summer! Because then you’re guaranteed to use fresh ripened RED tomatoes! So good!
More layered recipes: Layered Greek Dip [Garnish with Lemon], and Tex Mex Layered Salad [RecipeGirl].
Get the Recipe:
Layered Bacon Pea Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked medium pasta shells
- 1 pkg, 10-12 oz frozen peas
- 3 cup shredded lettuce, or 1/2 head, thinly sliced
- 3-4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced
- 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 2 cups Jack or Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1-2 Tbsp. sugar
- ¼ Tbsp. salt
- ¼ Tbsp. pepper
- 8 slices pre-cooked bacon, cooked and chopped or ½ lb. bacon (cooked, drained, crumbled)
- 2-3 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- Cook pasta shells according to pacakge directions; drain and rinse with cold water. Pour the frozen peas on top and rinse together; mix with hands. Set aside.
- Place the lettuce on the bottom of a 2-1/2 qt. glass serving bowl; top with macaroni and peas.
- Layer the hard cooked eggs, red onions, peas and tomatoes.
- Sprinkle with cheese. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, salt and pepper. Lightly spread over the cheese with a spatula.
- Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Just before serving, sprinkle the pre-cooked chopped bacon over the salad; top with fresh chopped basil. Serve!
Notes
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
This salad is SO GOOD!!! I make this every year for Easter and everyone loves it. Thanks for the recipe!
I have to question mayonnaise and sour cream as a dressing? That just sounds wrong to me. Also, why refrigerate overnight before serving?
It’s a great combo for the dressing! Have you tried it yet? So good! Also, it’s just an option to make ahead. A lot of people who host like to make food ahead to help save time and help them be more organized :)
My question is rather silly but how do you eat this salad. Do you toss at last minute or do you just let people dig in with a long spoon and hope they get some of everything.
You can actually serve it like this, with a big spoon and people just dig in. You can also put it in a giant bowl and mix it, if you’d rather :)
Awww you must be such a proud Auntie!!!! Congrats to her!
What a wonderful party, looks like so much fun! Congratulations to your niece!
Pasta info was left out of ingredients. What type and quantity, please.
OMG, it somehow got delted. Fixed, Carol!
Pasta directions are given, but in the ingredients, pasta is not mentioned.
This sounds like a great salad. I would love to make it.
Fixed! :)
hi this looks like a delicious salad but I am a little confused. you say to mix pasta and peas together, then later in the recipe you mention they should be layered along with onion and tomatoes and etc. which is it? do I mix peas with pasta or rinse separately. thank you
You mix the pasta and peas together, then layer and add onion, tomato, etc.
You seriously have the cutest ideas!! What an inspiration :)
Thank you, Jennifer! :)
My daughter got married this past August. The theme for her Bridal Shower was a Mad Hatter Tea Party from Alice in Wonderland. Guests wore their favorite hats for the occasion. The food was finger food sandwiches, tortilla rollups, a veggie tray, and an assortment of sweetly decorated cookies and cupcakes. It was wonderful:-)
That Mad Hatter Tea Party theme sounds SO fun, Debi! :)
The last of my three daughters was married this summer – all in less than 2 years! We had a “Mashini Bar” that turned out to be a huge hit. We rented large martini glasses and started with a chafing dish of mashed potatoes. Everyone chose from a variety of toppings. (I wrote 3 blog posts about different aspects of the shower if anyone’s interested.)
Cupcakes were the obvious dessert choice. She just moved home from Vegas after 2 years of volunteering full time for a non-profit called The Cupcake Girls. We wove the cupcake theme into other details and had to “tastefully” weave in her love for all things NEON.
Thanks for sharing, Donna. Will have to check out your posts. Congrats on your daughters weddings!