The Best Creamy Pea Salad with Bacon

This creamy pea salad is the perfect dish to take to any potluck party or picnic. It's light, healthy and full of flavor. It's made with peas, red onion, cheddar cheese, sour cream, mayo, cider vinegar and seasoning. It can be prepared in a matter of minutes too. This classic pea salad recipe will be your new favorite go-to for summer salads!

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Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Creamy Pea Salad, Pea Salad, Pea Salad with Bacon

Prep Time: 15

Servings:

Calories: 333kcal

Ingredients

32 Ounces Frozen Peas thawed
8 Ounces Cheddar cubed
1 Red Onion slivered
⅓ cup Mayonnaise
⅓ Cup Sour Cream
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Dried Dill
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
3 Ounces Real Bacon Bits *See notes below to make them at home (you may substitute with

Instructions

Step 1: Prep the Pea Salad Ingredients

Place frozen peas in a colander and gently rinse with cold water to help thaw out. Take care to not saturate the peas or damage the shells. While peas continue to thaw, thinly slice the red onion and set aside. Cut the cheddar cheese into half inch cubes and set aside.

Step 2: Combine the ingredients

Take a paper towel and pat dry the peas in the colander. Then, add them to a large bowl. Next, add the sour cream, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper and dill to the bowl with the peas. Gently fold the ingredients together until a creamy dressing has formed over the peas. Finally, add in the cheddar cheese cubes, sliced red onion and bacon bits and toss gently to combine.

Step 3: Serve and enjoy!

This salad can be served right away or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator before serving. I prefer to make it at least an hour before serving to allow the flavors to marry in the bowl.

Notes

How do I make homemade bacon bits?
You can use imitation bacon bits in this salad, but I highly recommend real bacon bits. You can buy them at the store or make your own at home. To make your own, simply line a baking sheet with foil and place an oven safe baking rack on top of the foil. Line up strips of bacon on the rack and bake on center rack in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Remove from oven, allow to cool and pat some of the grease off with paper towels.
There are quite a few variations to this recipe since it’s been around for a long time. However, this combination is pretty classic. So, try it and adjust to your preferences.
You can swap the mayonnaise for miracle whip and the cubed cheese for shredded, if it’s preferred.
Do not over warm your peas. You simply want to warm them enough to where they’re not frozen, but not piping hot. You want them to still be cold, as this will save you chilling time. If you overheat the peas, no problem, just chill the salad before serving.
This salad will keep in the fridge, covered properly, for up to 5 days. An airtight container would be best. I do not recommend freezing this salad due to the dairy it contains.

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