12 great twists on deviled eggs
Easter and eggs are a natural fit, the egg serving for many Christians as a symbol of rebirth, representing Jesus rising from the dead. And so it follows that Easter egg hunts will abound this weekend in churches, communities and homes throughout Southern Nevada.
One of those homes may be your own, in which case you’ll have a lot of hard-cooked eggs to use up once the fun is over. We’re guessing that’s why deviled eggs are a good fit for Easter as well.
Before we get to that, let’s talk about how to make a proper hard-cooked egg. It’s really simple: Put eggs in a pan and cover with cold water, then put the pan, uncovered, over medium heat. When the water comes to a boil, cover the pan and turn off the heat. Let the eggs sit for 10 minutes, then rinse them under cold water.
This is why hard-cooked eggs aren’t called hard-boiled eggs; you don’t actually boil the eggs. If you insist on doing that, you’re likely to get an unsightly (though harmless) green halo around the yolk.
Don’t use the freshest eggs you can find; if the eggs have been in the refrigerator for a week or two, they’ll be much easier to peel once they’ve been cooked. And for easy peeling, crack the cooked egg on the flat of the counter, roll it around until it’s all crackly and rinse under running water to remove the shells.
Don’t let your Easter egg hunt turn into an adventure in food pathogens. Make sure the cooked eggs are out of the refrigerator for no more than two hours (half of that in exceptionally hot weather). So get those little egg-hunters moving.
And here are some recipes for using all of those eggs.
SOUTHWEST DEVILED EGGS
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
¼ cup mayonnaise
¾ teaspoon ground mustard
¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks; place in small bowl. Mash yolks with fork or potato masher.
Stir in mayonnaise, mustard, seasoned salt, chili powder, cumin and ground red pepper until smooth and creamy. Spoon or pipe yolk mixture into egg-white halves. Sprinkle with green onions.
Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve.
Makes 12.
— Recipe from McCormick &Co.
AVOCADO CHIPOTLE DEVILED EGGS
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
¼ cup mashed avocado
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
½ teaspoon ground mustard
¼ teaspoon chipotle chili pepper seasoning
¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
12 pickled jalapeno pepper slices
Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks; place in small bowl. Mash yolks with fork or potato masher. Stir in avocado, lime juice, mayonnaise, mustard, chipotle chili pepper and seasoned salt until smooth and creamy.
Spoon or pipe yolk mixture into egg-white halves. Top each with a pickled jalapeno pepper slice.
Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve.
Makes 12.
— Recipe from McCormick &Co.
TARRAGON AND CAPER DEVILED EGGS
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon drained capers, minced
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks; place in small bowl. Mash yolks with fork or potato masher.
Stir in mayonnaise, capers, tarragon and mustard until smooth and creamy. Spoon or pipe yolk mixture into egg-white halves.
Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve.
Makes 12.
— Recipe from McCormick &Co.
BUFFALO RANCH DEVILED EGGS
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
3 tablespoons ranch dressing
1 tablespoon hot sauce
½ teaspoon ground mustard
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
2 tablespoons thinly sliced celery
Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks; place in small bowl. Mash yolks with fork or potato masher.
Stir in ranch dressing, hot sauce, mustard, paprika and seasoned salt until smooth and creamy. Spoon or pipe yolk mixture into egg-white halves. Top with celery slices.
Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve.
Makes 12.
— Recipe from McCormick &Co.
CREOLE SHRIMP DEVILED EGGS
12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
1/3 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
24 cooked shrimp, plus ½ cup finely chopped
2 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
3 tablespoons sauteed chopped green bell pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 green onion, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon Creole seasoning
¼ teaspoon hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
Cut eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove yolks. Mash together yolks, yogurt, chopped shrimp and next eight ingredients until smooth, using a fork. Spoon yolk mixture into egg-white halves. Top with cooked shrimp. Serve immediately, or cover and chill 1 hour before serving.
Makes 24.
— Recipe from Southern Living
BARBECUE DEVILED EGGS
12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
¼ cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup finely chopped smoked pork
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
Paprika for garnish
Cut eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove yolks. Mash yolks with mayonnaise. Stir in pork and next four ingredients; blend well.
Spoon yolk mixture evenly into egg-white halves. Garnish, if desired.
Makes 24.
— Recipe from Southern Living
MEDITERRANEAN DEVILED EGGS
8 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
1½ teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
1½ tablespoons coarsely chopped kalamata olives
1 ½ tablespoons coarsely chopped capers
2 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Cut eggs in half and put whites on a serving plate. Mix mayonnaise, mustard and vinegar in a small bowl. Stir yolks into mayonnaise mixture. Gently mix in olives and capers.
Fill whites with yolk mixture. Sprinkle tops with parsley.
Makes 16.
— Recipe from Sunset
DEVILED EGGS WITH SMOKED SALMON AND TWO MUSTARDS
¼ cup creme fraiche
1 tablespoon Dijon or Cognac mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain or seeded agave mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch of cayenne
¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
1 green onion, minced
2 ounces smoked salmon, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
6 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon finely snipped fresh chives
Stir together creme fraiche, mustards, garlic, lemon juice, cayenne, paprika, green onion and smoked salmon in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Scoop out egg yolks and put in a bowl. Mash yolks with a fork and stir in creme fraiche mixture.
Spoon yolk mixture into egg-white halves and sprinkle with chives.
Makes 12.
— Recipe from Sunset
DEVILED EGGS WITH BACON
2 strips bacon (1½ ounces total), coarsely chopped
6 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled
¼ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Hot sauce
Salt
Parsley leaves for garnish
In an 8- to 10-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, stir bacon until crisp and brown, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to towels to drain. Crumble when cool. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon fat from pan.
Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Put yolks in a small bowl and mash with a fork, blending in reserved bacon fat, sour cream and mustard. Add hot sauce and salt to taste.
Divide yolk mixture among egg whites. Top with bacon and parsley leaves just before serving.
Makes 12.
— Recipe from Sunset
HUMMUS DEVILED EGGS
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
1/3 cup hummus
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for garnish
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons prepared (not creamy) horseradish
Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop out egg yolks and put them in a medium bowl. Add hummus, olive oil, pepper, salt and horseradish. Mash mixture together with a fork.
Spoon filling into egg-white halves, dividing evenly. Sprinkle with black pepper.
Makes 12.
— Recipe from Sunset
SPINACH DEVILED EGGS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
9 ounces baby spinach leaves
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise, yolks removed and reserved
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
24 sprigs fresh chervil or thyme, for garnish
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add spinach and cook, tossing occasionally, until wilted and starting to look dry, about 5 minutes. Transfer spinach to paper towels and squeeze out excess liquid.
Place spinach and mayonnaise in a food processor and blend until very smooth. Pass through a fine sieve, and discard solids. In a clean food processor bowl, pulse spinach mixture, mustard, yolks and remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add salt and pepper and pulse to combine.
Transfer mixture to a large piping bag fitted with a ½-inch star tip and pipe filling into each egg-white half. Alternatively, spoon filling into whites. Garnish each with a small sprig of chervil or thyme, and serve immediately.
Makes 24.
— Recipe from Martha Stewart Living
OLD BAY DEVILED EGGS
6 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
½ celery stalk, finely chopped (1/3 cup), plus 12 leaves for serving
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
½ teaspoon spicy brown mustard
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
Ground pepper
Cut each egg in half lengthwise. Remove yolks with a spoon and place in a small bowl.
Mash yolks with a fork. Add mayonnaise, celery, Old Bay and mustard and mash into a smooth paste. Gradually add milk, stirring, until yolk mixture has a creamy consistency. Season mixture with pepper. With a spoon, fill each egg-white half with about 1 tablespoon yolk mixture. Top each with a celery leaf before serving.
Makes 12.
— Recipe from Martha Stewart Living
Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com. Find more of her stories at www.reviewjournal.com, and follow @HKRinella on Twitter.
