Break Out The Fancy Mustard For Lazy Deviled Eggs

Served at cocktail parties and church socials alike, the deviled egg is one of the most popular and crowd-pleasing hors d'oeuvres available. Made with hard-boiled eggs filled with a mixture of mashed egg yolks, mayonnaise, and other seasonings, these little ovals are fantastic finger food for just about any social gathering.

However, while making deviled eggs is not necessarily difficult, it can be time-consuming. First, you have to make hard-boiled eggs; then, you have to peel them and halve them. Next, you'll need to make the filling by scooping out the cooked egg yolks and mixing them with seasonings. Finally, you'll need to pipe the mixture back into the original egg white cups with a piping bag. Maybe that's fine if you're planning on making dozens of deviled eggs, and want to make a great impression at a party — but it's not so convenient if you just want to enjoy their flavor as a snack at home. Luckily, you can skip all the tedious steps by simply topping your hard-boiled eggs with mustard and other seasonings for a quick, flavor-packed snack that closely resembles the flavor of deviled eggs — especially if you have the right mustard on hand.

Picking the right mustard to pair with hard-boiled eggs can make a huge difference in the results, since the mustard will be providing the majority of the flavor and some of the texture. And when it comes to mustards, there are a lot of different types on the market to choose from. In terms of heat and flavor, common mustards such as yellow mustard might be too mild, while hotter varieties like Chinese hot mustard or English mustard could add too much heat, overwhelming the taste of the eggs and any additional toppings. Dijon mustard has a great flavor, but might lack textural contrast against the creamy egg yolk and smooth egg whites. It's all a matter of preference.

Ultimately, a great mustard to pair with hard-boiled eggs is whole grain mustard. Since whole grain mustard is made with brown and black mustard seeds, it carries a good amount of heat without being overbearing. Furthermore, as whole grain mustards are minimally ground, they retain the texture of whole mustard seeds, which provides a fantastic textural contrast when paired with smooth and creamy foods such as hard-boiled eggs and cheese. Either on its own or with chopped herbs such as tarragon or scallions, whole grain mustard is a fantastic ingredient to bring the flavor of deviled eggs without extra prep work.

Another way to get the flavor of deviled eggs without all the prep is to turn them into a creamy and delicious deviled egg-inspired salad. In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, whole grain mustard, relish, cayenne pepper, salt, and coarse ground pepper. If you don't have relish, you can use chopped capers instead. Cut the hard-boiled eggs with an egg slicer or a knife and add them to the bowl, then mix thoroughly. Garnish with chopped scallions, and you've got yourself a delicious deviled egg salad. Serve with cucumber slices or crackers for a protein-filled snack.

Alternatively, if you're not a fan of deviled eggs, there are many other ways to enjoy leftover boiled eggs. You can use them to make a quick and convenient egg sandwich without the mess of frying or scrambling eggs in the morning or create a creamy classic egg salad for lunch.