Classic Deviled Eggs

By Wollygator

Ingredients

• 6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• Paprika, if desired

Details

Servings 12
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 15mins
Adapted from bettycrocker.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Cut eggs lengthwise in half. Slip out yolks and mash with fork.
2. Stir in mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Fill whites with egg yolk mixture, heaping it lightly. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Expert Tips:

Tips for making perfect hard-cooked eggs that peel easily—place a dozen eggs in a large pan, cover with cool water. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Cool in an ice water bath; peel.
Once you’ve got the perfect cooked eggs, use the ratio of mayonnaise and mustard to step outside the box. Play with using some thick yogurt or sour cream for the mayo, use prepared spicy or stoneground mustard, sprinkle in finely chopped dill or a dash of garlic salt or hot pepper sauce. It’s key to really season the filling, so it’s the right foil to the mildly flavored egg white carrier.
Party perspective: instead of cutting the eggs in half lengthwise, slice the narrow end of the eggs off, exposing the yolks. Slice a bit off of the wide end, so the eggs will stand upright. Carefully scoop out the cooked yolks with a narrow spoon and mash them up, along with egg white you sliced off the eggs, to make a flavorful filling. Spoon the filling into a pastry bag with a straight or star tip (or simpler still, into a plastic food bag with a corner cut off). Squeeze the filling back into the standing egg whites and arrange them on a pretty plate. Garnish with small sprigs of fresh herb or a hearty sprinkle of chopped chives or green onion and some smoked paprika.

Bacon-Cheddar Deviled Eggs: Mix 2 to 3 slices crisply cooked and crumbled bacon and 2 tablespoons finely shredded Cheddar cheese into the yolk mixture. Garnish with more crumbled bacon or chopped fresh chives or parsley.

Blue Cheese Deviled Eggs: Skip the mustard and mix 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese into the yolk mixture. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper and small celery leaves.

Chipotle Deviled Eggs: Pass on the mustard and mix 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (from a 7-ounce can), drained, and 1 thinly sliced green onion into the yolk mixture. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro leaves and a sprinkle of chili powder.

Fresh Herb Deviled Eggs: Mix in 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs (chives, parsley, dill, basil, and/or marjoram) into the yolk mixture. Garnish with small herb leaves.
Ham and Veggie Deviled Eggs: Mix 1 tablespoon each finely chopped red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and cooked ham into the yolk mixture. Garnish with small julienned pieces of red bell pepper.