Mardi Gras Deviled Eggs - Recipe Theme

Today is Fat Tuesday - It snuck up on me when I was not paying attention, but I did make these great Deviled Eggs to celebrate. And it kinda keeps with the breakfast theme with an interesting twist.  Deviled eggs are a perfect southern food, a wonderful addition to a Mardi Gras Brunch and if you make them, a great way to celebrate Fat Tuesday from home since a trip to New Orleans is not recommended this year.

This recipe was inspired by a post by Deep South Dish where they admitted that a basic deviled egg recipe is preferred in many southern homes but dressing it up is also fun!

Each variation below is calculated for use with a dozen hard boiled eggs.

Deviled Eggs for Mardi Gras Brunch

12 large eggs

1 tablespoon salt (for the boiling water only)

 

For the Deviled Eggs:

1/4 cup regular mayonnaise, more or less to taste

1 tablespoon Creole, Dijon or yellow mustard

1 tablespoon sweet or dill pickle relish

Pinch kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (we recommend BYP N’Orleans Spirit Herb Mix)

Paprika, for garnish, optional

Directions:

Place eggs in a sauce pan so that they are crowded with little room to move around. Cover with water and add the 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a full, rolling boil (about 10 minutes on high), then immediately cover the pot and turn off heat, but leave the pot on the stove. Allow to sit covered for 15 minutes. Carefully drain the pot and place under the faucet, fill the pot with a steady stream of water, emptying and refilling the pot with cool water until the water is no longer hot. Let the eggs rest for 10 minutes in the cool water.

Peel the eggs and split in half lengthwise, removing the yolks and setting aside the whites. Using a fork or pastry blender, mash the yolks well. To the yolks, add mustard, pickle relish, a pinch of salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning and stir together, adding only enough of the mayonnaise for desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Pipe the yolk mixture into the egg whites using either a pastry bag and tips or place in a plastic storage bag and snip off the corner. Serve immediately or refrigerate filled eggs in a covered bowl that leaves room so the stuffing is not disturbed.

Instant Pot Boiled Eggs: For 6 to 12 large eggs, pour 1-1/2 cups water in bottom of pot and use a rack or basket to place eggs. Cook eggs on high for 6 minutes, quick release and use tongs to immediately transfer eggs into a bowl of iced water.

Variations:

This perfect southern specialty – Pimento: Substitute 1/4 to 1/2 cup of homemade or commercial pimento cheese for the mayonnaise; adding additional mayonnaise only as needed.

Dilly Deviled Eggs: Add 1 to 2 Tbls Marcy’s Dill Dip Mix into the mayonnaise and mix as usual. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh dill.

Jalapeno and Bacon Deviled Eggs: Combine 1/8 cup mayonnaise with 2 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature. Add remaining ingredients, along with 1/4 cup of finely chopped bacon, 1 tablespoon chopped, pickled jalapeno and 2 tablespoons finely shredded Cheddar cheese. Garnish each egg with a slice of jalapeno and scatter more minced bacon on top.

BBQ Ranch: Mix in 1 Tablespoon BYP Ranch Dressing Mix and an optional dash of Liquid Smoke. Stuff eggs. Just before serving, drizzle each stuffed egg with barbecue sauce (you can make that with BYP BarBeQue Seasoning) and garnish with chives.

Avocado Deviled Eggs: Combine 1/2 cup finely mashed avocado with juice of one lime and mix well. Add egg yolks and continue to mash, adding enough mayonnaise to make smooth. Omit mustard and pickles.

Adapted from the perfect southern source: http://deepsouthdish.com