Deviled Eggs - oh so Many Different Ways

Deviled Eggs - oh so Many Different Ways

Basic recipe:
6 hard boiled eggs, cooled and peeled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 TBS your favorite mustard, I like to use Dijon
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the eggs in half from top to bottom.
Scoop the yolks into a medium mixing bowl and gently lay the whites aside.
Add mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper to the egg yolks and using a fork, mash and stir to thoroughly combine.
Place the mixture into a zip-top sandwich bag and cut a small hole at one of the corners. Pipe the mixture to fill each of the egg white halves.
Chill for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.
Of course, just double, triple, etc recipe to make as many deviled eggs as you want.

Variations:
Try some of these additions to spice up your deviled eggs. You can even prepare all the yolks at once to the basic recipe and then scoop out a portion and add different extras to have a variety tray of deviled eggs.

• Onion, celery, bell pepper, green chilis, jalapenos, capers, pickles, olives, fresh garlic or combination of crunchy veggies - finely chopped.
• Add meat or seafood - finely chop ham or chicken. Open and drain a can of tiny shrimp, crab meat, or even tuna. Flake crab or tuna with fork. Stir chopped or flaked meat to yolk mixture.
• Cheese. Mince (chop tiny little cubes not shredded) 1/4 cup Cheddar, Jack, Swiss, Gouda, Edam. Or finely grated hard cheese like Parmesan, Romano, Asiago, Myzithra.
• Add more spices - try 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of - curry, chili, or garlic powder. Add 1 TBS chopped chives, parsley, cilantro, or 1 tsp dill weed - either add to mixture or sprinkle on top.

Creamed Eggs and Ham

Creamed Eggs and Ham

After Easter many families have an abundance of hard-boiled eggs and leftover ham. Here is a recipe to help you serve them up so your family thinks they are eating something new instead of leftovers. Creamed Eggs and Ham can be served for any meal on Easter Monday!

8 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and cut in slices or wedges
4 slices cooked ham, cut in serving size pieces
1 cup Swiss cheese, grated
3 cups Bechemal sauce
Pepper, chives or parsley chopped, paprika

Bechemal (white) Sauce:
2 cups milk
3 TBS butter
4 TBS flour
salt to taste

Scald milk in a pan or microwave.
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a 1qt saucepan.
Add flour to the saucepan and let cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
Slowly add the milk, stirring gently until it boils.
Let sauce low boil for 3 minutes to thicken, stirring, remove from heat.

In a baking dish or individual pudding dishes, line bottom with ham, arrange eggs over ham, pour 2/3 Bechemal sauce over eggs and ham, sprinkle cheese over top and then drizzle remaining sauce over the cheese.
Bake 10 minutes at 400 deg or until a nice brown crust is formed.
Garnish with sprinkle of pepper to taste, and chives or parsley and paprika for looks.
Serve immediately with or on toast or English muffins.

Incredible Egg Salad plus Four Delectable Variations

Incredible Egg Salad plus Four Delectable Variations

We will start with a basic egg salad recipe and then give
you some incredible variations to trick out your egg salad.

Classic Egg Salad

4 Hard-boiled Eggs, peeled and chopped
¼ cup Mayonnaise (regular, lite, fat-free)
1 Celery Stalk finely chopped
1 TBS Onion (red, white, yellow, or 1 scallion) finely chopped
1 ½ tsp Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed if possible)
Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

Gently toss the chopped eggs and celery together in a medium-size bowl.
In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, onion, salt and pepper.
Fold mayonnaise mixture into the eggs and celery.
Season to taste with salt & pepper.
Ideally chill for an hour or so before eating.
To serve, spread 1/2 cup egg salad onto your choice of bread or toast.

Another way to enjoy Egg Salad is as a salad! Take some of your favorite lettuce (Romaine is especially good) and layer a bowl or plate, top with a scoop of Egg Salad, and garnish with tomato wedges for a delicious and nutritious lunch! Cucumber slices would be nice for some extra crunch.

Bacon & Horseradish

To the classic egg salad recipe add:
3 or 4 strips Bacon - cooked crisp & well drained, then chopped
1 or 2 TBS Prepared White Horseradish, drained well
Increase Mayonnaise to 1/3 or even 1/2 cup
2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Red, Orange or Yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
Adjust horseradish to your personal taste.
This is great served open-faced on toast.

Olives and Mustard

1/4 cup Olives chopped (about 10 or 12 large olives)
1 teaspoon Spicy Prepared Brown Mustard
1/8 teaspoon Paprika
1 tablespoon Sweet Pickle Relish
You can use any of your favorite olives - Ripe Black, Pimento-Stuffed Green Olives, Kalamata, etc - as long as the olives have been pitted.

Smoked Salmon and Sun-Dried Tomato

This is one of my favorite ways to make egg salad. Makes a great spread for crackers or serve on toasted bagel, English muffin, or bread.

2 ounces Smoked Salmon, diced
substitute 1 medium Shallot finely minced for the onion
Increase Mayonnaise to 1/3 cup
1 tsp Sun-Dried Tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp tiny Capers or minced if they are large
1 tsp Sherry Vinegar
1 tsp Fresh Dill, chopped
1 TBS Fresh Parsley, finely chopped

Parmesan Sausage

Try this on a bed of baby spinach leaves!
Sausage (about 3/4 cup), cooked, well drained, and chopped

• 1 to 2 Italian Sausage (hot or mild)
• - or -
• 4 or 5 links of Breakfast Sausage

Increase Mayonnaise to 1/2 cup
2 TBS Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 tsp Lemon Juice (fresh squeezed if possible)
½ tsp Yellow Mustard