Layered Salad

This is a "throw back" recipe.  I remember my mom making what she called a "Seven Layer Salad" when I was young. This one is actually nine layers, if you count the dressing on top. I found the recipe, story and gorgeous photos for this recipe (the one above IS mine that I made for a potluck recently) on "The Pioneer Woman's" blog. Her writing is so entertaining and she posts amazing photos of the step-by-step process for each of her recipes, so I'm just going to post the link to her recipe.

But of course I have to add, I made a couple of minor tweaks to her original...

First, she insists on seasoning both layers of greens (iceberg lettuce and baby spinach) with salt and pepper for enhanced flavor. While I see her point, salt draws the water out of fresh vegetables. This salad is meant to sit in the refrigerator for several hours before serving. I went ahead and followed her instructions, and I found the spinach especially to be on the way to mushy when I served the salad. So, I strongly recommend skipping the salt and pepper. The bacon and cheddar add plenty of salt!

Second, I added a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to the simple dressing of sour cream, mayonnaise and sugar (I added 2 tablespoons of the sugar).  It just seemed like it needed a little extra "brightness" of flavor from the vinegar. This is personal preference!

So here's the link... enjoy the story, photos, and of course eating this delicious and beautiful salad!
The Pioneer Woman - Layered Salad