I went to a baby shower a little over a month ago, and in all my 30 years, I believe that was the first time I had even seen a seven layer salad. Maybe that just means I don’t get out enough, or that I haven’t been going to the types of pot lucks where someone makes things like this. As a veggie lover and artistic food enthusiast, this appealed to me on several levels. I freely admit I went back, not just for seconds, but for thirds. I tried to corner the girl that brought it and ask here where she got the recipe. She must have misunderstood me however, because she proceeded to try and tell me the ACTUAL recipe, ingredient by ingredient, as if my blissed-out brain could absorb it all and remember any of it for more then a split second.

Fast forward to this morning, where this recipe found it’s way into my inbox from The Cottage Journal. Not only did it have my mouth watering all over again, it contained the trifecta of ingredients that makes just about any recipe awesome – bacon, cheese, a creamy sauce (in this case dressing).

Seven Layer Salad

 

By:

The Cottage Journal

Type: Side Dish

Serves: 10-12

Prep Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Print

 

Ingredients

• 5 cups chopped green leaf lettuce
• 2 cups seeded, chopped tomatoes
• 2 cups chopped yellow bell pepper
• 1 (12-ounce) package frozen green peas, thawed
• 2 cups chopped radishes
• 2 cups diced seedless cucumber
• Seven-Layer Salad Dressing (recipe follows)
• Garnish: shredded Cheddar cheese, crumbled cooked bacon
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• ¼ cup chopped fresh chives
• ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

1. In a 3½-quart glass bowl, layer lettuce, tomatoes, bell pepper, peas, radishes, and cucumber.
2. Top with dressing, spreading to edges to seal. Cover, and refrigerate for 4 hours to overnight. Garnish with cheese and bacon, if desired.

Notes

SEVEN-LAYER SALAD DRESSING Makes about 2 cups

• 2 cups mayonnaise
• ¼ cup chopped fresh chives
• ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, chives, dill, Dijon mustard, onion powder, and pepper, stirring well.

2.2.1

As I mentioned before, while I am a casual fan of bacon, I have some friends who I would lovingly describe as bacon addicts. They have never met a piece of bacon that didn’t hold a special place in their hearts. Thus leading them to give birth this monstrosity…

The Bacon Explosion*

Photo by Grieg Wehr Photography

But back to the point. I saw this vintage ad on a site I frequent and immediately though, if my bacon-loving friends saw this I bet they will be whipping up a batch of there very own by next weekend (if not sooner).  The merging of salty and sweet (with the addition of some maple syrup) would tempt even an apathetic bacon consumer such as myself.

Behold, Bacon-cakes!

Sometimes the old recipes are the best!

*Directions to make your own Bacon Explosion can be found here

UPDATE 6/16: Bacon-cakes made here by the Breakfast Blogger. Don’t they just look mouth-watering!!

Here is a recap of some of last weeks posts, in case you missed them due to the nice weather calling you outside and away from the warm glow of your monitor.

Lots of recipes last week:

• Avocado & Mango Salsa
• 6 Ideas for Leftover Ham*
• Awesome Lemon Pepper Catfish
• Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

* I did make one of these last week, so keep your eye’s peeled for a review.

Continuing the Ham theme, there was the Bacon AT-AT and B-AK-47.

Also a heads up about a local Atlanta event for my friends into Hosting and Entertaining.

Since the weather is predicted to continue to be very pleasant for the next few days, I’m sure some of you will miss this post to, but really I can’t blame you. If I wasn’t chained to my cubicle I’d be right out there with ya!

This is for both my Bacon and Star Wars lovers.  While I am not as rabid bacon fan as I know so many of my friends are, I do indulge in the occasional piece.  I just love how this combines these two unrelated ideas in such a well executed way.

Behold! The Bacon AT-AT!

This was apparently created for the 2nd Annual Bacon Day celebration (never hear of such a holiday, but I’m not at all surprised one exists).  Here is another great bacon craft, which was created for the 1st Bacon Day celebration.

I give you the B-AK-47!

*Click either pic for links to the original article with additional pictures.

Let Doctors, health nuts and nutritionists the world over cower in fear under the threat of such artery-clogging and cholesterol-laden artillery! Kind of makes me excited to see what they will come up with for the 3rd Bacon Day, iBacon?