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This Creamy Pea Salad is a nice change from the typical potato or pasta salads found at barbecues and potlucks. It requires very little cooking with just a little bit of chopping and mixing – it could easily be a no-cook recipe if you buy precooked bacon! It doesn’t get much easier than that!
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This Creamy Pea Salad is a nice change from the typical potato or pasta salads found at barbecues and potlucks. It requires very little cooking with just a little bit of chopping and mixing – in fact, it could easily be a no-cook recipe if you buy precooked bacon!
I don’t know about y’all, but I love cool side salads in the summer! They just seem so refreshing in the summer heat.
Although I love a good potato or macaroni salad, sometimes, I want something just a bit different! This Creamy Pea Salad is one of my personal favorites, and it’s soon to become one of yours too!
The recipe is sooooo easy, and it’s always a hit! I’ve had this in my recipe file for more than 20 years, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve given this recipe to friends and family!
I’ve even had people who dislike peas enjoy my creamy pea salad – it’s that good!
Bring it to your next summer get-together – it’s excellent picnic food! (Then again, it’s probably good at any time of the year, to be honest!)
Pea Salad with Bacon: Ingredients & Substitutions
To make this Pea Salad recipe, you will need …
Ingredients
- frozen peas – thawed and drained. There’s no need to cook these beforehand – just thaw them, and they’re ready to go! You can also use canned peas if that’s what you have on hand or if that’s what you prefer.
- cheddar and mozzarella cheese – diced. These provide an even more creamy texture to your salad. You can also shred it if you prefer.
- bacon – cooked and crumbled. It gives a more delicious crunch to your pea salad, and anyway, who doesn’t LOVE bacon? Don’t want to cook at all? Find already cooked bacon for an even easier side dish!
- red onion – for flavor and more crunch!
- salt and pepper – to taste.
- Miracle Whip or mayonnaise – a summer salad classic that turns all these ingredients from fine to fab!
NOTE: Personally, I like the simplicity of this recipe, but feel free to play around with it a bit. Sometimes if I have fresh dill on hand, I’ll throw a bit of that in there as well. Also, some people love to add eggs or cashews to their pea salad.
Green Pea Salad: FAQs
Absolutely!! I’d say you can make this up to two days ahead and store it in the fridge. Just don’t add the bacon until right before serving, or else you’ll get, well, mushy bacon. Ew! I’d also stir it before serving, as well. But overall, it’s one of those perfect event/get-together foods!
In an airtight container, in the fridge, for 3-4 days. Don’t leave it out on the counter or the picnic table for very long – maybe just 2 hours. Remember, this has dairy in it, so it spoils/goes bad faster than most foods.
Just 10 minutes! Not 10 minutes and more time to cook … not 10 minutes in addition to some other step … just 10 minutes. Easy!
About ten servings or ten small bowls!
I know a lot of people like to add hard-boiled eggs or cashews to their pea salads – those are big ones! Some other ideas:
– peppers of any kind
– cayenne for spice
– diced celery or water chestnuts
– garlic or garlic powder
Here are a few I’ve seen or tried:
– you can switch out the diced cheese for shredded cheese if you prefer
– Greek yogurt or ranch dressing instead of Miracle Whip/mayo
– Canadian bacon or ham instead of the bacon (gasp!)
– green onion or Vidalia onion instead of red onion
Other recipes you may enjoy
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Creamy Pea Salad
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Ingredients
- 2 packages frozen peas, thawed and drained, 16 oz. each
- ½ – 1 cup diced Cheddar cheese
- ½ – 1 cup diced Mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
- Refrigerate until serving.
Notes
Additions and substitutions
I know a lot of people like to add hard-boiled eggs or cashews to their pea salads – those are big ones! Some other ideas:- add peppers of any kind
- cayenne for spice
- diced celery or water chestnuts
- garlic or garlic powder
- you can switch out the diced cheese for shredded cheese if you prefer
- try Greek yogurt or ranch dressing instead of Miracle Whip/mayo
- use Canadian bacon or ham instead of the bacon (gasp!)
- substitute green onion or Vidalia onion instead of red onion
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally posted on August 25, 2012. Updated on April 22, 2022.
Jamie. I have a very similar recipe that includes lettuce that you layer with the rest of the ingredients. I am so excited about your recipe because the lettuce would tend to wilt and I did not care for that. I know that your recipe will be yummy. Putting this on my menu for next week! Thank you for sharing. Nancy P
Just saw this as link on Garlic-Herb Cheese Bombs recipe.Mom made Pea Salad with peas (canned in pre-frozen box days, and fresh blanched if she had them), diced apple, very thinly sliced celery, very small cubes of cheese, if time permitted, coursely if not, sliced green onion tops, and the same dressing.
Thanks for sharing a great recipe. I just made the salad as a side dish to sandwich night. Turned out great! Halved the recipe and then halved it again to fit my smaller family still fed 3 people with some leftover in the fridge. Loved the crisp peas and crunchy bacon and creamy cheese – great textures. Used two small shallots instead of red onion as a mellow flavor. Red onions can easily take over a dish. Blogged about this salad. Linked it back to yours. Used my own pictures. Loved the colors in this dish – going to use this recipe all summer long! 🙂
Now wonder why this is a popular post…it looks amazing! 🙂
This looks delicious! Has anyone tried a substitute for mayo?
This looks delicious!
G'day Jamie and congrats also on being featured via The Olive and Grapevine Salad newsletter this week too!
Cheers! Joanne
GREAT salad!
Oh my gawsh!!! I haven't had this in years!! It used to be one of my fave side dishes. Yummy!
Stopping by from Totally Tasty Tuesday!
I love the combination of flavors in this dish. It will be FEATURED this week!! Thanks for linking up to Tasty Thursdays on The Mandatory Mooch. I hope you will link up again this week. The party will be live tonight. http://www.mandatorymooch.blogspot.com
Thanks, Nichi
Stopping by for the first time and enjoyed perusing many of your posts! Sweet place you have here 🙂 I think this recipe sounds so good! I love peas!
Nice to meet you!
Kindly, Lorraine