If someone asks me for a quick appetizer idea for a New Year’s celebration party, I always mention deviled eggs. They are very quick and easy to make, and they do not require expensive or hard to find ingredients. All you need is a carton (or two) of eggs in your fridge, some fresh herbs, and a bit a patience.
Making deviled eggs has always been a Christmas and New Year tradition in our family. When I was a child I liked them because they were filling, and my parents liked them because they were affordable. I remember sitting at the white kitchen table and helping mom to make deviled eggs while the snowstorm was brewing outside. It was cold, yet our hearts were warm because we were talking, sharing stories, and laughing: we were having a great time in the midst of a cruel winter.
I started searching for local deviled eggs recipes as soon as I arrived in Chicago, and I discovered that many recipes included mayonnaise or mustard. Mine has butter in it and uses fresh parsley and a hint of green onion to cut through the richness of the egg yolks. I also like to add sliced baby dill pickles and to make deviled egg panini, as a way to use up the leftover egg yolk mixture.
Ingredients for deviled eggs
6 hard-boiled eggs, with shells removed
1/2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
Handful of parsley
1/2 sprig of green onion
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Cut the eggs in half lengthwise and take out the egg yolks:
Make sure the butter is soft – it must be soft to make it easy to blend in with the other ingredients. Microwave it in 10 second increments until soft:
Finely chop the parsley and the green onion. Add them to the egg yolks. Also add the butter and the salt and pepper:
Mix the ingredients using a fork until they are well combined. Taste and add more salt and/or pepper, if necessary:
Fill the egg halves with this mixture. Garnish with extra chopped parsley:
As mentioned above, the leftover egg yolk mixture can be used in a panino. Here is my recipe – you can customize your panino by adding more ingredients, as per your preferences:
Ingredients for deviled egg panino
Leftover egg yolk mixture (approximately 2tbsp)
4 slices deli ham
2 slices bread
1 baby dill pickle
Put two slices of ham on one slice of bread. Spread the egg yolk mixture on top of the ham as evenly as possible, using a knife:
Slice the dill pickle and put the slices on top of the egg yolk mixture. Add the 2 remaining slices of ham, and finish off with the other slice of bread. Grill for around 2 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and crispy.
The dill pickle adds a nice crunchy element and it is necessary to counterbalance the flavors of the ham and the deviled egg mixture. For an extra “kick,” use sliced banana peppers.
Hope you like this dish. See you all in the New Year! 🙂
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