Creamy Bacon & Cheddar Pea Salad

Ingredients

Salad

• 6 cups frozen green peas (about 900 g), thawed and well drained

• 6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and chopped

• 1½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 150 g)

• ½ cup finely diced red onion

• 3 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped

• ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley or chives

• ¼ cup additional bacon, reserved for topping

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Creamy dressing

• ¾ cup mayonnaise

• ½ cup sour cream

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tbsp apple-cider vinegar or lemon juice

• 1–2 tsp sugar, to taste

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp dried dill

• ¼ tsp onion powder

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp salt, or to taste

Method

1. Thaw the peas
   Place frozen peas in a colander and run cool water over them until thawed. Drain extremely well and pat dry. Excess water will make the salad runny.

2. Cook the bacon
   Fry bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels and chop into small pieces. Keep a little aside for the final garnish.

3. Prepare the eggs
   Hard-boil the eggs, cool completely, peel, and chop.

4. Make the dressing
   Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon, vinegar, sugar, garlic powder, dill, onion powder, salt, and pepper until smooth.

5. Combine
   In a large bowl, gently combine the peas, most of the bacon, cheddar, red onion, eggs, and parsley.

6. Add dressing
   Pour the dressing over the mixture and fold gently until everything is evenly coated. Avoid aggressively stirring so the peas and eggs don’t break apart.

7. Chill
   Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours. Taste again before serving and adjust salt, pepper, or vinegar.

8. Garnish
   Top with the reserved bacon, a little shredded cheddar, chopped red onion, parsley, and a few peas.

 Nut information

There are no nuts required in this recipe.
The pictured salad also does not appear to contain obvious tree nuts or peanuts.

However:

• Mayonnaise: check the label if preparing for someone with a severe allergy.

• Cheddar: contains milk.

• Sour cream: contains milk.

• Eggs: contains egg.

• Bacon: check packaged ingredients for possible cross-contact/allergen statements.

For a nut-free preparation, use ingredients labeled appropriately for your allergy requirements and avoid cross-contamination from cutting boards, utensils, and serving bowls used with nuts.

Approximate nutrition

Per serving, assuming 10 servings:

These are estimates and can vary substantially with the mayonnaise, bacon, cheese, and serving size.

Tip: For the closest visual match to the photo, use petite frozen peas, sharp orange cheddar, plenty of finely diced purple/red onion, and very crisp bacon. The salad should be thick and creamy rather than soupy.