A lot of things will have to change about the holidays this year, but there’s no way we’re giving up appetizers. So what if holiday happy hours are now just you, your roommate, and your dog? Frankly that just makes good food seem more important. Enter this classic deviled egg recipe.
Deviled eggs are the perfect pre-dinner snack. They’re creamy, savory and packed with protein. Their simplicity makes them feel like a relief during a season of complex baked goods and elaborate mains. You probably even have all the ingredients right now. We started with a base recipe for classic deviled eggs and then tried out a few fanciful variations.
Basic Deviled Egg Recipe:
- 12 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Up to 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons chives, thinly sliced
- A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or hot paprika
- Finishing salt
- Fill a large saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil on high. Prepare an ice bath. Carefully lower the eggs into the water, one by one. Reduce the heat to a low boil and cook for 10 minutes. Immediately place eggs in the ice bath and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before peeling under cool running water. Slice each egg in half lengthwise.
- Place all yolks in the bowl of a food processor. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, 1/2 tablespoon vinegar, and hot sauce to the food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Season mixture to taste with salt and remaining vinegar (if desired). Transfer to a zipper-lock bag.
- Cut off a corner of the zip-top bag. Now you can use the bag to pipe the filling mixture into the centaur of the egg whites. Sprinkle with black pepper, chives, crushed red pepper or paprika, and sea salt. Serve immediately.
Note: Filling and egg white halves can be stored separately in the refrigerator up to 8 hours before eggs are filled and served.
Buffalo Deviled Eggs
Stir Buffalo hot sauce and blue cheese into the base filling. Garnish with a celery leaf and a bit of blue cheese.
Carbonara-inspired Deviled Eggs
Bring in the flavors of carbonara by adding parmesan and black better to the base filling recipe. Garnish with crispy pancetta and parsley.
Everything Bagel Deviled Eggs
Mix in cream cheese and everything seasoning into the base filling recipe. Garnish with more seasoning and a sliver of smoked salmon.
Now that you have your snack, pick a drink recipe to round out happy hour.
