24 Hour Salad

With creamy dressing, crispy bacon, and fresh vegetables, this 24-hour salad recipe is low carb and perfect to make when you don’t have a ton of time or looking to meal plan for the week.

If you’re looking for great recipes for a delicious layered salad, this one’s for you!

As a family favorite, this make-ahead salad recipe has become my go-to for large gatherings, just like my cornbread salad.

24 Hour Salad Recipe

This yummy salad is the best to make for get-togethers like holiday parties or baby showers. Mostly because I can make it ahead of time!

Full of crisp lettuce, salty bacon, a thick dressing, and fresh toppings like black olives and peppers. It’s not only delicious but pretty to look at.

I highly recommend making this overnight layered salad when you don’t have a lot of time on those busy weeknights but still want to have something healthy and fresh for the family.

And it’s perfect for meal planning for the week when you don’t have time to worry about what you’re having for lunch.

Ingredients Needed

Iceberg Lettuce – Choose a medium head of iceberg lettuce for this recipe. Substitute romaine lettuce or fresh spinach.

Celery – Substitute sliced green onions or green bell pepper.

Red bell pepper – Swap for green pepper if you can’t find a red one. You can also use diced red onion.

Frozen peas – I like frozen green peas for this recipe, but use fresh if you can’t find frozen. I don’t recommend using canned as they can get mushy.

Black olives – Black olives are delicious but if you don’t like them substitute green olives or even black beans.

Bacon – I prefer the center cut bacon as it’s thicker and has less fat. Substitute turkey bacon or even pepperoni if you like.

Cheddar cheese – Replace cheddar with parmesan cheese or your favorite. Mozzarella is delicious in this.

Mayonnaise – Duke’s Mayo is my favorite but you can substitute sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.

Pantry staples – Sugar, lemon juice, salt, black pepper.

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How To Make a 24 Hour Salad

First: In the bottom of a large bowl or baking dish, layer the chopped iceberg lettuce. On top, layer celery, pepper, peas, and olives.

Second: In a small bowl, combine cups mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour on top of the salad in an even layer.

Third: Cover with a layer of bacon and cheese. Wrap large glass dish tightly with plastic wrap. 

Fourth: Chill overnight (for at least 4 hours) in the fridge. Unwrap and serve!

For the full recipe and detailed baking instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.

How long does it last? 

Since this side dish is an overnight salad it needs to be chilled until the next day before serving. It will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Make sure to cover tightly with the plastic wrap or use an airtight container.

Can I make it ahead of time?

Yes, you can. That’s the best part of this salad!

It’s perfect for making the night before but if you need to make it a few days in advance I suggest keep the dressing, bacon, and cheese separate until the day before you plan to serve it.

You can even prep all the ingredients and keep in separate containers or bags (this works great if you are taking it to another house) and then assemble when ready to enjoy.

What are the 6 types of salads? 

There are six types of salad out there and it’s important that every cook know what they are. 

• Green salad – These salad recipes include your traditional lettuce or spinach based salads. Usually they have carrots, cucumbers, tomato wedges, red onion, and other vegetables. For protein, they can also include hard-boiled eggs or Swiss cheese on top. This is the 24 hour salad category.
• Fruit salad – With fresh fruit including red grapes, mandarin oranges, sweet blueberries, and chopped strawberries, creamy fruit salad is a well known staple at parties, and brings a healthy sweetness to the table.
• Rice and pasta salad – Although not what you would traditionally think of when someone says “salad”, rice salad and pasta salad can both be really good when made the right way.
• Bound salad – This delicious salad features ingredients like potatoes, meat, and hard-cooked eggs for a well rounded combination. To create this type of salad, mix the egg slices with the other ingredients. Afterwards, layer eggs with a high protein dressing for the final touch.
• Dinner salad – For dinner salads, you traditionally serve these before your main course. This is where a Caesar, Cobb, or Chinese chicken salad comes in.
• Dessert salad – As one of the most well loved types of salad, dessert salads usually have whipped topping, crunchy ingredients, and are very sweet.

Tips for No Leftovers

• To avoid soggy salads, make sure to only put the dressing and toppings (like cheese and bacon) on right before serving.
• This is an overnight 24 hour salad so be sure the dressing is thick. Drain the salad before serving if too much water is released.
• For a crunch and a healthy fat, add in some water chestnuts or other nuts. 
• To make sure that your large salad has the best dressing, mix the ingredients in a food processor. 
• Cook your bacon in a skillet on medium-high heat with a little bit of oil for the crispiest version.
• If the lettuce gets a little limp before making, submerge in ice cold water to crisp it back up.
• Make this in mason jars. Start with dressing on bottom, layer lettuce on top of it. Top with remaining ingredients. Store overnight in the fridge and then turn upside down before serving.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, please write a five-star review in the comment section below (or on Pinterest with the “tried it” button – you can now add pictures into reviews, too!), and be sure to help me share on facebook!

This 24 hour lettuce salad recipe is perfect when you want something with a good mix of flavors. Full of salty, crisp bacon, crunchy fresh lettuce, and a thick, creamy dressing, this is the perfect go-to when you want to make something that you know will be a hit.

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