Deviled Eggs For Easter: 3 Kinds That Will Make You Praise The Lord (Again)

    I love eggs.  C’mon, if you read my blog even sporadically, you already know that!  As I’ve said many times before, I take them anyway they’re handed to me- fried, poached, scrambled...you name it.  Yet, boiling them to a dense, pale yellow center is without question, my least preferred way to “take them.”  Growing up, I often requested my mom prepare me a perfectly timed soft-boiled egg. If my soft-boiled egg was one minute overcooked, I threw a fit.  Yeah, I was that girl.  At age 8, I was awfully particular about eggs.  Go figure.

    Easter is the one time I absolutely adore a hard-boiled egg.  If you celebrate the holiday, you probably know why.  Besides a special church service, a family gathering with egg hunts and a big ham, Deviled Eggs kind of define this springtime Christian day. I can remember many Easters daydreaming in church about the mayonnaise mixed, mushy yolk filled white vessels of deliciousness.  I probably ate a solid 10 at the age of 10.  With some mayo, sprinkling of salt, pepper and paprika for color, they are simple and scrumptious.  I never would’ve dreamed they’d become a food trend…that’s just foolishness.  A crazy idea until I began trying some kicked up varieties.  Not before long, I was hooked with the fun and unique combos.

In honor of Easter and of course, my love for eggs, I have concocted a trio of three delectable beauties-all equally lovely and very, very tasty.  For the recipes below, I have portioned for a half dozen eggs of each kind.  Side note: Boiling an egg flawlessly can be tricky.  I use a cool gadget my mom bought me (pictured below) but you can also find a great “recipe” here. 

That gadget works like magic-you can buy one at Crate and Barrel.

Horsey Bacon Eggs

For the Bacon Fans (ok, all of you carnivores)

Ingredients:

½ dozen eggs, boiled

3 pieces crispy bacon, crumbled, 1 piece kept whole

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

3 teaspoons Horseradish cream sauce

salt and pepper

Directions:

  1) After carefully removing the shell from your eggs, slice in half with a sharp knife, and with a light push, the yolk should pop right out. 

  2) Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and with a fork, break up the yolk and combine with bacon, mayo, etc.  Fill your eggs with a spoon/clean hands.  With the one lone piece of bacon, break into 1-inch pieces and use as garnish.   

Jalapeño ‘Cado Eggs

For the Heat Seekers (like Yours Truly) 

Ingedients:

½ dozen eggs, boiled

2 grilled (or broiled) Jalapenos

½ Hass avocado, ripe

1 tablespoon diced green chilies (canned is fine)

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

2 teaspoons garlic powder

salt and pepper

Directions:

1) After carefully removing the shell from your eggs, slice in half with a sharp knife, and with a light push, the yolk should pop right out.

2)Combine all ingredients except for the jalapenos and thoroughly combine, making sure the avocado is broken down into a mostly smooth consistency.  Fill your eggs with a spoon/clean hands.

3) Carefully slice jalapeño, empting out the seeds as you go (with a light shake of your hand they should fall right out).  Top the eggs with thin jalapeño slices. 

Kalamata Goat Cheese Eggs

For the Really Adventurous Souls (You’ll fall in love)

Ingredients:

½ dozen eggs, boiled

1 handful pitted kalamata olives (about 12)

1 tablespoon kalamata olive juice

3 tablespoons Goat cheese, softened 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ tablespoon EVOO

Directions:

1) After carefully removing the shell from your eggs, slice in half with a sharp knife, and with a light push, the yolk should pop right out.

2) Add 9 olives to your food processor or blender.  Blend until grinded like a paste.  Combine all ingredients to a small bowl and combine.

3) Fill your eggs with a spoon/clean hands.  With the remaining olives, left whole, slice in half a top eggs as a garnish. 

You don’t have to celebrate Easter to enjoy these awesome eggs…Deviled Eggs are the gourmet hard-boiled egg perfect for any occasion-even great for a lazy Sunday snack.  After testing my invented recipes, I am torn with choosing a favorite.  The Horsey Bacon is an interesting mixture-combining meaty succulence with a little kick from the horsey sauce.   The Jalapeno ‘Cado uses two of my most-loved ingredients so it was a sure winner from the start.  The Kalamata Olive and Goat cheese egg is creamy, tangy and rich.  Word from the wise, I’d remove the extra olive garnish unless you are olive obsessed.  It was borderline overkill (don’t you just love my honesty?)  Oh, and please, by all means, serve/eat ‘em room temp…prepare them the day (and the hour) you boil them.  Cold Deviled Eggs are just not the same.

 Some other creations I’ve “seen around”

-Curry Crab

-California Club (avocado, bacon and tomato)

-Piccata (I made this last year- capers, lemon, mayo and garlic)

-Lemon Dill

-Blue cheese and bacon  

-Sun-dried Tomato and Feta