Recipe Highlight: These are my daughter’s favorite addition to any holiday gathering. My biggest regret is always waiting for holidays to make them as they bring her so much joy!
INGREDIENTS
Deviled Eggs:
- Dozen eggs
- Mayonnaise (start with 1/2 cup … see instructions.)
- Yellow mustard (start with 1 tablespoon)
- Celery seeds, to taste (start with 1/8 teaspoon)
- Cheddar cheese, grated (start with 1/4 cup)
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- Smoked Paprika
- Few snips of chives, if desired
Candied Bacon:
- 12 bacon slices, cut into thirds
- Brown sugar (about 1/3 cup)
- Ground cayenne pepper or peri peri, if desired
INSTRUCTIONS
Deviled Eggs:
- Boil your eggs to your liking. I tend to place eggs into a pan and cover with water. I place on high heat and then bring to a full roiling boil where the bubbles are breaking all over the surface. Once boiling, I remove the pan from heat and allow to continue cooking off heat (on counter or cool stove burner) for about 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes is over, I add the eggs to a bowl of ice water and let sit until completely cooled, about another 10 minutes.
- Once you remove the shell (see notes for peeling tips), pat the eggs dry with a paper towel to remove any moisture, if needed. Using a knife, halve your eggs lengthwise, setting yolks aside. Sprinkle each halve with salt and pepper, to taste.
- To your bowl of reserved yolks, add remaining ingredients to taste. This part is tricky because it varies based on the number and size of the yolks. I would start off with about 1/2 cup mayo and 1 tbsp of mustard. Add more mayo, if needed, until you reach desired consistency/taste.
- Add in mix-ins such as celery seeds, grated cheddar, bacon bits, and salt and pepper.
- Pipe or spoon yolk mixture into the egg halves, sprinkling with smoked paprika. This spice gives your eggs their signature flavor and is great for presentation.
- Place eggs in refrigerator while cooking the candied bacon.
- For the candied bacon, just line a baking tray with parchment paper before placing your bacon slices onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle each piece of bacon with brown sugar. Feel free to add your favorite ground pepper (cayenne or peri peri) to make a sweet and spicy moment! Bake at 350 degrees until the bacon is rendered and browned on the edges for 25 to 30 minutes, giving the pan a half turn halfway through cooking. Allow the bacon to cool completely, about 20 minutes. The bacon will crisp as it cools.
- Once cooled and crisp, add a piece of your candied bacon to each deviled egg. Eat remaining bacon … just because.
- Feel free to make them pretty by adding a few snips of chives for some greenery, if desired.
NOTES
Peeling Hack: Start peeling at the wide end of the egg, where there’s usually an air pocket. Peel off a small piece of shell at the bottom to expose the membrane, then slip the egg back into the water (ice water or room temperature water both work) for a minute or two. The water seeps under the shell and helps release it more easily. (I haven’t tried this tip yet, merely stole it. I’m documenting for posterity’s sake!)
Life Hack: Why do we only eat these for Easter or the rare family cookout, especially when Audrey loves them so much? I guess we’ll never know. There’s no rhyme or reason to the self-imposed rules we live by. I encourage you to welcome a little anarchy into your life and eat the damn eggs whenever you want to! Treat yourself, diva.
Why? Because I love you, kiddos … and you deserve good things. Don’t settle for just deviled eggs, but it’s a good place to start.
Health & Happiness 