Scary Delicious Deviled Eggs

In honor of All Hallows’ Eve, here’s a fun recipe inspired by one of my favorite Halloween costumes of recent years. Deviled eggs are not only incredibly simple to make, but the perfect appetizer for any spooky holiday celebration.

INGREDIENTS

• Eggs [ A Dozen ]
• Mayonnaise [ 2.5 Tablespoons to Start ]
• Dijon Mustard [ 2 Teaspoons to Start ]
• Black Pepper [ 3-4 Grinds ]
• Cayenne [ A Dash or Two ] — Adjust Based on Personal Taste
• Salt [ 1/8 Teaspoon to Start ] — Adjust Based on Personal Taste
• Paprika [ A Sprinkling ] — Garnish
• Chives [ A Handful ] — Garnish

TOOLS

• Large Pot
• Slotted Spoon
• Large Bowl / Second Large Pot (optional)
• Medium Sized Mixing Bowl
• Cutting Board
• Sharp Knife
• Tablespoon
• Teaspoon
• Fork
• Plastic Zip Top Bag // Piping Bag
• Sharp Scissors
• Serving Platter

EXTRAS

• Red Bell Pepper

Since it’s Halloween season, have some extra fun by cutting out thin, little triangles from strips of bell pepper to create devil horns for your fiendish friends. Ghouls and goblins alike will enjoy this wickedly tasty touch.

YIELD

This recipe makes 24 deviled eggs. You can obviously use less eggs or more eggs & easily adjust the mayo and mustard amounts for the seasoned yolk filling. The last time I whipped these up, I only had 9 eggs in the fridge so I made 18 yummy bites 🙂

Step One

Have fun!

Step Two

Boil the eggs. If you have a go-to method for boiling eggs, please do that. If you’ve never boiled a large batch of eggs simply follow these directions. Gently place your eggs in a large, wide pot. Be sure to lay them in a single layer as seen in the photo above. Cover the eggs with cool or room temperature water to prevent cracking. There is no need to fill the entire pot, but it is important to have at least 2-3 inches of water over the top of the eggs. Bring the water to a rolling boiling. After 1 MINUTE of solid boiling, turn off the stove. Transfer the pot to a cool burner, cover with a lid, and let your eggs sit in the water for 10-12 minutes.

Step Three

Option A: Once the eggs are cooked, carefully drain the hot water over the sink. Add cold water into the pot and drain again. This will help cool down the pot itself. After the second draining, cover the eggs with cold water and have them rest on the counter for 5-10 minutes or until cool enough to handle.

Option B: Add ice and water into a large bowl or another large pot. Once the eggs are cooked, remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place them into the ice bath. Allow the eggs to sit in the chilly water for 2-3 minutes or until cool enough to handle.

Both of these methods stop the cooking process and allow for easy peeling.

Step Four

While the eggs are cooling, start your filling. Add the mayonnaise, dijon, black pepper, and cayenne (if you like spice) to a mixing bowl. Stir together until combined.

Step Five

Peel the eggs. If you have a go-to method for peeling eggs, do that! I personally like to peel my eggs as follows. I dry off the boiled egg with a paper towel. I then crack the top, the bottom, and the entire length of the egg on just one side by gently hitting it on the counter. I place the egg back onto the now damp paper towel to collect my shells. I peel some of the shell from the top of the egg, some shell from the bottom, and then along the side. I know that my egg has been perfectly boiled and cooled when the thin membrane between the shell and the egg white easily comes up. Once I properly get a hold of that membrane across the length of the egg, the rest of the shell peels off quite simply in large pieces.

The last time I boiled a large batch of eggs, they refused to cooperate during the peeling process. This happens often when you boil fresher eggs. So a helpful tip would be to purchase your eggs ahead of time and keep them in the fridge for a few days before preparing this recipe. If you don’t have time to buy eggs in advance, my only advice is to try and be patient during the peeling process if the eggs are being difficult. You can also just yell at the little suckers while struggling to peel them like I tend to do on occasion 😉 Whatever floats your boat, friends.

The peeling of the eggs is literally the one tricky part of this recipe ONLY because it’s tedious and unfortunately, extra annoying when the eggs refuse to easily shed their shells. If you really hate the idea of preparing eggs, you can obviously save some time and buy peeled, boiled eggs at the grocery store. I highly recommend boiling them yourself for a fresher taste, but sometimes convenience is the way to go when time is of the essence. Last but not least, you can always boil and peel your eggs the night before you want to make these.

Step Six

Once the eggs are peeled – carefully slice each one lengthwise with a sharp knife. After the eggs have been split in half, gently remove the yolks with a teaspoon so as not to break the egg whites. Place the yolks into your mixing bowl with the mayo, mustard, and spices. Place the egg white halves onto your serving platter.

Step Seven

Create the filling by smashing the yolks with a fork and properly mixing it together with the wet ingredients. Add the salt, and stir until the mixture is smooth. If the filling is too dry for your liking, add a teaspoon of mayonnaise or a bit more dijon. Continue to add in the condiments of your choice until the filling reaches a consistency that you are happy with.

Taste the filling. If you find that it needs more salt, add some more a small pinch at a time until you’re satisfied with the taste.

Step Eight

Align your handful of rinsed chives (6 or so chutes) onto your cutting board. If they are very long, cut them in half and stack them on top of each other into a tight bundle. Hold the bundle, and finely chop the delicate onions into tiny pieces as seen in the photo above.

I absolutely love onions and always incorporate a teaspoon or so of these chives into the yolky filling. But if you prefer, feel free to leave them out of the mixture.

Step Nine

Scoop your filling into a medium to large zip top plastic bag. If you only have smaller sandwich bags, you may need to split your filling into two batches. If you’re a baker and have some piping bags lying around, use one of those.

If you’re using a zip top bag, push the filling toward one side. Next, take a sharp pair of scissors and cut the corner of the bag closest to the filling. You’ll need to cut about 1/4 inch of plastic off.

Lastly, pipe your filling into the holes of each half egg.

Step Ten

Garnish your deviled eggs with a sprinkling of paprika and the finely chopped chives. Oh, and don’t forget to add the red pepper devil horns if you chose to make them.

Step Eleven

Enjoy your hauntingly good creation!!