Church Pitch-In Salad

Ahhh, Church Pitch-In Salad — the legendary potluck classic 😄
In most churches, this name usually means the 7-Layer Salad: crunchy, creamy, sweet-savory, and always scraped clean.

Here’s the traditional, no-fail version everyone recognizes.

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Church Pitch-In Salad (Classic 7-Layer Salad)

Ingredients (serves a crowd)

Layers

• 1 head iceberg lettuce, finely chopped

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 cup cucumber or green peas (both are common)

• ½ cup red onion, finely diced

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• ½ cup crispy bacon, crumbled

Dressing

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• 2 tbsp sugar

• Salt & black pepper, to taste

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Instructions

1️⃣ Make the dressing

• Mix mayonnaise, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth.

2️⃣ Layer the salad (do not toss)

• In a clear glass bowl or trifle dish, layer in this order:

  1. Lettuce

  2. Tomatoes

  3. Cucumbers or peas

  4. Red onion

3️⃣ Seal with dressing

• Spread dressing evenly over the top, all the way to the edges (this “seals” the salad and keeps it fresh).

4️⃣ Top it off

• Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bacon.

5️⃣ Chill

• Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours (overnight is even better).

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Why it Works

• 🥗 Stays crisp for hours

• 🧀 Sweet + salty + creamy balance

• 🕊️ Travels well

• 🍽️ Feeds a crowd

• 📜 Timeless church-cookbook vibes

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Popular Church Variations

• Add hard-boiled eggs

• Swap peas for broccoli florets

• Use Colby-Jack instead of cheddar

• Add sunflower seeds for crunch

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If you want, I can also share:

• Southern pea salad version

• Broccoli church salad

• Retro Jell-O pitch-in salad (the real old-school one