Classic Southern Pea Salad with Bacon and Cheddar
You will make this creamy, old-fashioned pea salad for your next potluck. It combines sweet peas, crispy bacon, sharp cheddar, and a simple, tangy dressing for a satisfying side dish.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Total Time: 15 min
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups frozen sweet peas, thawed
- 1 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Thaw the frozen peas completely. Drain any excess water from the peas.
- In a large bowl, combine the thawed peas, crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped red onion, and chopped hard-boiled eggs.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, white vinegar, Dijon mustard, and sugar until smooth. This creates your simple salad dressing.
- Season the dressing generously with salt and black pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the pea mixture. Gently fold all ingredients together until everything is evenly coated.
- Cover the bowl and chill the pea salad in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving. This allows the flavors to blend.
- Taste before serving and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Serve cold as an easy side dish.
Notes
- For the best flavor, make this creamy pea salad ahead of time; it tastes better after chilling for several hours.
- If you prefer a tangier dressing, increase the white vinegar by one teaspoon.
- This recipe is a great make-ahead salad for summer BBQs and potlucks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 23
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Unsaturated Fat: 16
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 12
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 9
- Cholesterol: 85