When I was growing up, my mom’s deviled eggs were very popular a potluck picnics.  I think that many people would turn their noses if they knew what her “secret” ingredient is.  But, since they don’t, she always gets complements.  And because the only thing growing in our yard right now continues to be the chives, I decided to make this version of Chive Deviled Eggs for an upcoming picnic.

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The “Secret” Ingredient is…

…salad dressing.  Yes, that’s right Friends, we use Miracle Whip in these babies.  In fact, I keep Miracle Whip around for the sole purpose of making deviled eggs and macaroni salad.  (Everything else gets mayo.) And yellow mustard.  You might remember from my Mustard Barbecue Sauce that I come from French’s Country, so I always use yellow mustard. This makes Chive Deviled Eggs a nice, mild, kid friendly version of deviled eggs.

Beyond that, these Chive Deviled Eggs are pretty easy and only require a few ingredients.

Fail-proof Hard Boiled Eggs

There are so many tips out on the interwebs for how to boil the perfect egg.  Some say to turn boil the water and then turn it off.  Others say to boil at a rolling boil for 10 minutes, but that means you need to watch for when that boil starts.  Apparently there is also a debate about whether to begin with your eggs in cold water or to add them to already boiling water.  The important thing is that to have a firm yolk, your eggs need to be at a full boil for 10-12 minutes.

Here’s what I do:  I fill a sauce pan with enough water to cover all of my eggs with about an inch of water.  Place them on the stove with the burner on high.  Set the timer for 25 minutes (that includes the time it takes to bring the water to a boil) and walk away.  It’s truthfully, probably more time that you need, but I’ve never had a partially cooked yolk and I don’t think you can over cook them.

When the timer goes off, drain the eggs and right in the pot, add cold running water until the water remains cold.  The trick to keeping your eggs from getting green yolks is to cool them quickly which means if you will not get to your deviled eggs right away, you should put them in the refrigerator.

Peeling the Eggs

And about the peeling?  Two things that I learned from my mother when it comes to making hard boiled eggs:

1. Fresh eggs are harder to peel.  So, if you can, plan ahead.  Buy your eggs a week or two before you need them. Longer if you are buying fresh brown eggs or have your own chickens.
2. Remember that cold water you were chilling your eggs in?  Crack the eggs in that water on the fat end of the egg.  If you have slightly older eggs, there will be an air pocket at that end of the egg and the water can get up in there, under the membrane.  The shells will almost slide off (if you’re lucky!).

Making the Filling

Cut your eggs in half lengthwise.  I use a scallop edge slicer (like this one, although, mine was my grandmother’s so it’s a little different–apparently, they are actually for cutting vegetables, who knew? I’ve only ever used it to slice eggs!) to make them fancy.  Separate your yolks from the whites.  Set the whites aside on an egg plate or a egg carrier.  Or, if you don’t have an egg plate, you could put a paper towel or a cloth napkin on a plate.  I will do this if I make a really big batch and I don’t have enough room on my egg plate or in my carrier.  This helps keep them from sliding.

I run my egg yolks through a food mill  (<–this is the one I have, but I think the one by OXO looks like a very comparable option with prime shipping) to get a creamier yolk mixture.  I had a helper working with me as I made the eggs today.  This is the same way I learned to make the eggs.  In fact, until today, never in my life had I measured the ingredients.  We just go by eye and taste.  It should be about a 1:2 ratio of mustard to salad dressing.  Again, add the chives to looks, but I used about two tablespoons.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Mix all those ingredients together with a fork or a spatula. (Sunshine wanted to use her American Girl spatula for which she has the matching girl and doll aprons.)

Filling the Chive Deviled Eggs

Once your yolk filling is thoroughly mixed, you can put it in the hollow part of the whites.  When I am feeling lazy or in a hurry, I just use a regular spoon and plop it in.  Today, however, we went fancy:  I filled a sandwich zipper bag with the filling used my kitchen scissors to clip the corner.

Then, Sunshine could squeeze the filling into the whites.

Top your eggs with some additional minced chives, sprinkled paprika or olives. (My family likes it this way, but to me, that ruins a perfectly good deviled egg!)

Enjoy your eggs.  These are sure to be a crowd pleaser!  Let me know how it goes.

PS. This post contains affiliate links. When you click the link and make a purchase through the link, we make a little money, this helps to keep The Semiconservative Granola Girl going. Thank you for your support.