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7 Layer Christmas Salad with Creamy Pesto Ranch

Casey Rooney
This 7-layer Christmas salad is the perfect colorful, crowd-pleasing centerpiece for your holiday table! Layers of crisp lettuce, smoky bacon, eggs, sweet peas, tomatoes, and bright red peppers come together under a creamy pesto ranch. It’s fresh, festive, and super easy to make ahead!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

For the dressing

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2-3 tbsp. buttermilk or regular milk may need a bit extra if the dressing is made ahead of time
  • 2/3 cup store-bought or homemade pesto homemade pesto recipe
  • 1 tbsp. dry ranch seasoning such as Hidden Valley or Trader Joe's

For the salad

  • 6-8 cups romaine or iceberg lettuce, chopped
  • 6-8 hardboiled eggs, sliced or chopped
  • 12-16 oz. bacon, uncooked, chopped into small pieces
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 1/2-2 cups frozen peas, thawed
  • 2 red bell peppers, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth. You can add a splash or two more of buttermilk/milk if you’d like the dressing a bit thinner, but remember, you want the dressing to be on the thicker side so it seals in all the ingredients! Pop the dressing in the fridge to allow the flavors to come together.
  • Cook the bacon: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook 12-14 minutes until crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside to cool.  
  • Start layering. {{Reserve some of the peas, red pepper, and bacon to garnish the top!}} In a clear glass trifle dish or bowl (mine was 9 inches wide and 5 inches deep), layer the salad ingredients in this order: lettuce, egg, bacon, cherry tomatoes, peas, and red pepper. Concentrate the ingredients on the outer edge of the bowl first so it looks pretty! You can fill in the middle with more lettuce, if needed.
  • Add dressing: Pour the dressing over the top and smooth it out with a spoon. I also like to reserve a bit of the dressing to serve on the side if anyone wants more.
  • Garnish (optional): Sprinkle on the reserved bacon, peas, and red pepper over the top of the dressing layer. Refrigerate or serve right away!

Notes

    • Measure with your heart: This is very much a measure with your heart-type recipe. Add more or less of whatever you like! The exact ingredient amounts will also depend on the side of your dish. For this recipe, I used a dish that was 9 inches across and 5 inches deep.
    • Make ahead: This salad is a great make-ahead holiday side dish! For best results, prep the individual ingredients (chop veggies, cook bacon, boil eggs, make the dressing). Then, on the day of your event, simply take 5 minutes to assemble everything!
    • Extra dressing: Reserve a bit of the creamy pesto ranch dressing to serve on the side.
    • Tossing the salad: Let guests toss at the table right before eating (you want everyone to admire your holiday-themed creation as long as possible!). I have found two long wooden spoons like these work best to toss a layered salad like this one.
    • Storage: This salad is best eaten right away since it will most likely be tossed with the dressing. However, leftovers will stay fresh for a day or two stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.