Name: 24-Hour Picnic Salad
Total time: 8 h 30 min
Ingredients: 1 medium head iceberg lettuce , cored and chopped rough (about 6 cups); 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 medium red onion , sliced thin; 6 hard-cooked eggs , peeled and chopped; 1 1/2 cups frozen peas; 4 ribs celery , sliced thin; 1 red bell pepper , seeded and chopped; 1 medium cucumber , halved, seeded and sliced thin; 1 pound bacon , cooked until crisp and crumbled; 1 1/2 cups crumbled blue cheese; 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise; 3 tablespoons cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons hot sauce; 2 teaspoons sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper

Why This Recipe Works

We liked the idea of a salad recipe that could be assembled in advance, where all the ingredients are layered and covered with a thick dressing, put in the fridge for a night and simply tossed and served the next day. But early recipe attempts produced overdressed salads with soggy vegetables—until we found a formula that worked. We tried other lettuces, but iceberg retained the most crunch after sitting with the dressing for a day. Salting the layers of lettuce pulled moisture out—we used the water to thin our dressing to the prefect consistency. Crunchy vegetables like celery, bell peppers, and cucumbers stayed crisp in the salad overnight, but soft ingredients like mushrooms and spinach wilted into mush.

Before You Begin

Frank's is our favorite brand of hot sauce. If using a hotter brand, such as tabasco, reduce the amount to 1 tablespoon.

Instructions

For the salad: Place half of lettuce in large serving bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Rinse sliced onion under cold water; pat dry with paper towels. Layer onion, eggs, peas, celery, bell pepper, and cucumber over lettuce. Add remaining lettuce to bowl, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and top with bacon and cheese.

For the dressing: Combine all ingredients and spread dressing evenly over top of salad. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Remove plastic wrap and toss until salad is evenly coated with dressing. Serve.