When I was trying to think of appetizers that weren’t fried for this month’s set, one of the first ones I thought of was deviled eggs. The first time I had tried deviled eggs, I didn’t really like them, but thankfully I tried making them again using my own recipe and I realized just hate miracle whip lol
Typically, you’re supposed to use mayo for this recipe, but to make this dish slightly healthier, I decided to substitute it with greek yogurt once again.
I wasn’t originally planning on having so many of the recipes this month use greek yogurt, but it’s just such a good source of protein and a useful substitute for other ingredients like mayo or sour cream that are typically higher in fat and calories and lower in protein. But of course, you are welcome to use the more traditional ingredients if desired. Though, if you were going to use mayo, I highly recommend using kewpie mayo since it adds an extra egginess to the yolk mixture. And don’t use Miracle whip please. Unless you like it, I guess…
Apparently, deviled eggs originate all the way from ancient Rome, where even back then, they would serve boiled eggs seasoned with spicy sauces as a starter meal during gatherings and feasts. This was so common that apparently they had an ancient saying of ab ovo usque ad mala, from egg to apples, meaning from the beginning of a meal, the appetizer, to the end. Though, it seems the more modern form of deviled eggs comes from 13th century Spain, where they first removed the yolks and then stuffed them back into the halved eggs, mixed with other ingredients. The deviled part of the dish, referring to a highly seasoned fried or boiled dish, or spicy and zesty food, seemingly originated around the 18th or 19th Century, where mustard, pepper, and other spices were more commonly used in recipes for this dish.
Speaking of ingredients, you of course are welcome to add any additional toppings to the deviled eggs, such as bacon, other spices, hot sauce, cheese, and most other savory or salty things. But, regardless of your toppings, this appetizer will be so delicious that you’ll want to eat another one and then another one, and then you realize you’ve eaten half a dozen eggs-worth of them. So, because of this, I recommend making more than you think you’ll need since it’s quite easy to eat more than you realize. And because they don’t require any heating up, they are the perfect appetizer to make the night before to pull them out of the fridge when you’re ready to serve. And if you have a lot of eggs that are about to go bad, this is the perfect appetizer to make if you want to use up and eat a whole bunch of eggs.
Ingredients:
- 6 large eggs
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon or so Dijon mustard
- 1-2 Baby Pickles and 1 teaspoon or so of the juice
- Some garlic powder
- Some Salt and pepper
- Some paprika, for garnish
- Some chives, for garnish
Step 1: Hard-Boil Your Eggs
First, we’ll prepare the hard boiled eggs. So, place your eggs in a large saucepan and cover them with some water, at least 1 inch or so above the eggs.
Next, bring the water to a boil over high heat.
Then, once the water is rapidly boiling, give your eggs a stir, cover the pot, and remove it from the heat and then let this sit for 10-12 minutes.
Step 2: Prepare Ice Bath & Other Ingredients
While we wait for the eggs to cook, we’ll prepare an ice bath, so in a large bowl, add in some ice and water but make sure to leave room for the eggs.
And since we still have time to wait, we’ll prepare the rest of our ingredients.
So, for your baby pickle, dice this up really finely and then for your chives, chop these up finely as well.
Step 3: Remove from Hot Water & Cool Eggs in Ice Bath
Once your eggs are ready, remove them from the hot water and transfer them immediately to the ice bath.
This’ll help to keep the eggs from overcooking which is what causes the yolks to become sulfury and visually unappealing.
Give them a stir to speed up the cooling process and once your eggs are cool enough to grab with your bare hands, we’ll begin peeling the eggs.
Step 4: Peel Your Eggs
To quickly and easily peel the eggs, I like to crack it on both the top and bottom to find the air pocket and then use that opening to peel off the rest of the shell in one piece. I find that doing it this way, I can get the eggs to come out as clean and unbroken as possible, but if you have your own tips for cracking hard boiled eggs, let me know!
For your first egg, check to see if your eggs are cooked to your desired doneness and then you can crack the rest of the eggs open.
One other tip that I would give for easier cracking is that using older eggs is actually preferred since the egg white won’t stick as much to the shell and will be easier to peel without damaging the white exterior.
But if you are having trouble maintaining the whole egg, just try to minimize the amount of egg white loss so that you can still fill it with the yolk filling later.
Step 5: Cut Eggs in Half & Separate Yolks from Egg White Halves
But, regardless of how you manage to do it, once your eggs are fully de-shelled, cut each in half lengthwise.
Separate the yolk and the egg whites and place the yolks into a bowl and set the egg whites aside for later.
Step 6: Mix Filling Together
Next, to your egg yolk bowl, add in the Greek yogurt, minced pickles, some pickle juice, dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper and then mash everything together with a fork. Give the mixture a taste and season with additional garlic powder, salt, and/or pepper, if needed.
Step 7: Fill Eggs w/ Yolk Filling
Once your filling is ready, spoon the yolk mixture into the center of each halved egg white. Or if you wish to make it prettier, you can add the yolk mixture to a piping bag or just a normal ziptop bag with the corner cut off to create a piping bag and then pipe the filling into the eggs.
For any extra filling, you can use it to make a tasty egg salad sandwich!
Step 8: Top Deviled Eggs w/ Toppings & Enjoy
Then, when your eggs are ready, garnish with a sprinkle of the paprika and your chopped up chives and with that, your deviled eggs are ready to eat.