23 layered salad recipes

A three-layer Jello salad with strawberry-banana gelatin hugging a creamy center of cream cheese, sour cream, and chopped walnuts. Retro potluck royalty served on crisp lettuce leaves.

Chilled pasta shells layered with basil pesto, spinach, Roma tomatoes, black olives, and shrimp. This make-ahead Italian pasta salad is a crowd-pleasing potluck star that only gets better as it sits.

Tomato and herb salad layers sliced ripe tomatoes over crisp lettuce with a chopped-tomato oregano vinaigrette. Fat-free, low calorie, diabetic-friendly side ready in 20 minutes.

Grilled eggplant salad layered with yellow tomatoes, fresh mint, and a shallot-lemon vinaigrette. A stunning Mediterranean summer platter that pairs smoky grilled eggplant with cool raw tomato.

Raw fennel, mushroom, and shaved Parmesan salad with a garlic-lemon vinaigrette and crushed fennel seeds. Mushrooms marinate for an hour, then get layered with paper-thin fennel and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Grilled tuna and roasted pepper sandwiches: meaty grilled tuna layered with sweet roasted peppers, capers, and parsley salad on focaccia. A Mediterranean pan bagnat style picnic sandwich that only gets better after chilling.

A layered no-bake caviar pie built in a springform pan: egg salad base, chopped scallions, whipped cream cheese and sour cream, crowned with black and red caviar. The ultimate make-ahead appetizer for holiday entertaining.