This Creamy Pea Salad with Bacon Recipe is so delicious and easy to make, everyone will be asking you for the recipe. Peas, bacon, red onions, and cheese in a delicious homemade creamy dressing, this salad is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Creamy Pea Salad with Bacon
You of course know the classic cold salads like potato salad, pasta salad, and broccoli salad. But for a really delicious take on the favorite side dish salads, go for the pea salad! It’s so simple to make and so perfect for your next BBQ, picnic, or cookout.
This Bacon Pea Salad Recipe goes really nicely with a burger, hot dog, or barbecue. I could also see this being a really nice dish to bring to a potluck or make for a party.
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The Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make the Bacon Pea Salad Recipe (the exact measurements and full recipe instructions are below in the printable recipe card):
- Frozen sweet peas
- Bacon
- Cheddar cheese
- Red onion
For the dressing:
- Sour cream
- Mayonnaise
- Granulated sugar
- White vinegar
- Salt
- Pepper
How to Make Pea Salad
Start by whisking together the ingredients for the salad dressing in a small mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate while you move on to the next steps.
In a large mixing bowl, toss together the peas, cooked bacon, cheddar cheese, and diced red onion.
Pour the salad dressing over the salad, then toss to mix.
It’s just that simple!
Variations
Here are some possible variations you might want to try:
- Vidalia onion – if you don’t have a red onion or would prefer to use another type of onion, try using a sweet vidalia.
- Fresh peas – yes, you can use fresh peas in this recipe! Just be sure to blanch the peas in boiling water for a minute or two to soften, then drain the peas and cool completely to room temperature before using them in the salad.
- Vinegar – the recipe calls for white vinegar, but you could use a red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead.
- Cubed cheese – instead of shredded cheddar cheese, try chopping an 8-ounce block of cheese into small cubes and adding them to the salad.
How to Store the Leftovers
Be sure to keep the salad refrigerated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer the salad to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days. Serve the salad cold.
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Pea Salad with Bacon
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salad
- 4 cups frozen sweet peas thawed
- 12 strips bacon cooked until crisp then finely chopped or crumbled
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 a medium red onion peeled and diced
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the salad dressing ingredients. Cover and refrigerate while you move on to the next steps.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the peas, cooked bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, and diced red onion.
- Pour the salad dressing over the salad in ingredients in the large bowl; toss well. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours before serving.
Last Step:
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59 comments on “Creamy Pea Salad with Bacon”
This was delicious. My husband and I really enjoyed it!
Thanks Kathy!
Wonderful! Thank you! God bless you!
I love all your recipes and how they are set up . I just wish you could add the calorie count and nutrition facts per serving . Thank you so much for great ideas
Thanks Joann. All our newer recipes have that info. We are working on updating the older ones to included that.
So my only additional ingredient was dill. Im a dill Lover
I love this salad=== add chopped eggs then we can claim it is healthy! (tastes good too)
Mom used to make this. We called it “Pickles*, Peas, and Cheese Salad”. Haven’t had it in years. Thanks for the recipe.
*Bread and Butter pickles or Sweet pickles
Cheese, onions and sweet pickle chunks ❤️❤️❤️
I added 3 hard boiled chopped eggs to recipe.
Love pea salad. This is a great recipe.
I too make this but add fine diced egg and couple squirts of yellow mustard. No problem storing leftovers, have never had any…lol
I have never eaten frozen peas without cooking them first. It looks delicious and differently going to try it.
yummy!!!!
My Mother made the best pea salad. Pretty much like this one, but no bacon. Never had bacon in it. Might have to try it.
I am making this for the first time today to take to my sister’s 4th of July cookout. Can’t wait to see how it turns out!
I have a recipe that calls for Miracle Whip. Really good.
I made this today for tonights dinner, I put a Cucumber dill dressing on it. Can’t wait to try it!
I have been making this for 40+ years with a couple of differences. I add 3 finely diced hard cooked eggs and the dressing has no sour cream but does have a little yellow mustard and a tablespoon or 2 of 1/2 & 1/2.
Yes mine has some bpiles & chopped eggs in it as well
I have a recipe close to this I’ve been making also for 40 yrs. It’s called seven layer salad, it also have sliced eggs, lettuce, green peppers. All in layers with the same dressing minus the sour cream! It’s so good and if layered in a clear glass dish it’s so pretty too.
I made this during the Thanksgiving holiday. This hit a homerun! We all loved it. I used Wrights’s thick bacon. Next time I do this I will use regular or cut back on the thick slices. The bacon was a little overpowering but that was my fault. Thick was all the store had. This will definitely become a family favorite. Oh, my hubby does not like peas and he loved this!
I make this for any potluck I go to , only I add cauliflower, everyone always asks, “Are you bringing your pea salad ” ?
I, too, do not like peas but I am going to make this for one of our church dinners. That way I can try it and not worry about it going to waste.
I would use stevia instead of sugar and apple cider vinegar to turn this into a keto friendly recipe for me. I probably would it in half for just one person though. But I love everything in it. Thank you!
This salad is definitely not keto friendly. Peas are loaded with carbs.
I made this a little more keto friendly using cauliflower and broccoli instead of peas and monk fruit sweetener instead of sugar. Definitely a keeper. Thanks so much!
I haven’t had this for forty years. It was always there at Thanksgiving Dinner and I always loved it. Thanks for reminding me…..I will definitely have to make this soon (just to bring back the happy memories as everyone I shared the table with is now gone).
forgot to give it 5 stars.
This green bean salad minus the bacon and sour cream just used Mayo dates back to the 1940s right after World War II at least that’s when we started having it oh I dated myself!