Retro Salads Are Trending Again—and Here Are Our Community's 14 Favorite Recipes (2024)

Seven Layer Salad

It is easy to see how this layered salad has stood the test of time. Using common ingredients and the biggest glass bowl you can find, this simple dish comes out gorgeous and delicious. Iceberg lettuce, bacon, red onions, cheddar cheese, green peas, and cauliflower are stacked one on top of the other and served with a dressing made from mayonnaise, sugar, and Parmesan cheese. This salad will have you hankering for seconds.

Watergate Salad

“Watergate Salad is an American classic. This delightful side dish salad or dessert is made with pistachio-flavored instant pudding mix, canned pineapple, mini marshmallows, nuts, and whipped topping,” says Allrecipes community member and recipe creator Jennifer. “Garnish with crushed pistachios and maraschino cherries.”

Frog Eye Salad

What is frog eye salad? The short answer: a sweet pasta salad. It uses round acini di pepe pasta, which some say looks like a frog’s eye. Combine your cooked pasta, cooled egg mixture, mandarin oranges, pineapple tidbits, crushed pineapple, and whipped topping together. Toss in marshmallows and coconut when fully chilled and ready to serve.

Green Pea Salad With Cheddar Cheese

The best part about this recipe is how easy it is to make. Toss your sweet peas, hard-cooked eggs, Cheddar cheese cubes, mayonnaise, and onion together in a bowl until the ingredients are coated. Season with salt and pepper and dig in.

Red Skinned Potato Salad

“This red-skinned potato salad has a delicious, firm texture,” says recipe creator Donna. “It's chock full of creamy red potatoes, crispy bacon, bits of hard-boiled egg, crunchy celery, and spicy onion.” With 1,900 five-star reviews, this one is a keeper.

Lemon Lime Vegetable Salad

This might be as retro as it gets. Lemon and lime Jell-O, along with a little apple cider vinegar and water are mixed with celery, olives, and carrots—set in a mold—to create a comfort food worth bringing to every family gathering. Top with a little Cool Whip to level up this dish that comes packed with sweet, sour, and savory flavors.

Waldorf Salad

This classic fruit and nut salad only has three main steps: Combine mayonnaise, white sugar, lemon juice, and salt to make the dressing, add in your apples, celery, and walnuts, then chill until ready to serve. Crunchy, sweet, and delicious.

Sarah’s Ambrosia Fruit Salad

“This recipe has been in my family for years and years. We make it at every holiday family get together and everyone loves it,” says recipe creator smviolante. “It's a great refreshing fruit salad for every occasion, especially summer months and hot days.”

Judy’s Strawberry Pretzel Salad

This dessert salad features a buttery pretzel crust, a sweet cream cheese center, and fresh strawberry topping. With over 1,500 five-star reviews, the Allrecipes community agrees: this recipe is a no-brainer.

Orange Gelatin Salad

Try out this simple, delicious spin on a fruit salad. Mix a packet of orange Jell-O with mandarin oranges and crushed pineapples before adding in cottage cheese, folding in whipped topping, and chilling. Once it's ready, take a spoonful and travel back in time.

Ham Salad

“Growing up, it was a given that anytime we baked a ham for the holidays, ham salad would follow,” says Allrecipes Allstar lutzflcat. “This is a good spread and is equally good on a sandwich.”

Grandma’s Carrot Salad

This might be the easiest side salad to prepare on this list, and the Allrecipes community agrees. Only four ingredients and a little seasoning make this dish perfect. Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and salt until smooth, and combine with shredded carrots and raisins. Your tastebuds will do the rest.

Bodacious Broccoli Salad

“This broccoli salad with bacon and cheese is requested at every family gathering. Let it be your next dish that they crave,” says an Allrecipes community member. “Be sure to have copies of the recipe on hand, as everyone will ask for it!”

Best Bean Salad

This recipe might be the best for a bean salad you’ll ever come across. Using garbanzo, kidney, black beans, green beans, and wax beans, this salad is tossed with chopped green peppers, onions, celery, and an easy vinegar dressing.

More Inspiration

• Discover More Retro Recipes Here
• 15 Old-Fashioned Casseroles That Never Go Out of Style
• 14 Fluff Salad Recipes That Bring the Nostalgia