Deviled Eggs - A Southern Staple

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Deviled Eggs have always been a pretty staple party appetizer for me. People can knock them all they want, but they are always the first thing to disappear. 

Deviled eggs are something that is requested—a LOT in our house. As long as my husband and I have been together, he has always loved this deviled egg recipe. It's of the most requested things he asks for, well, besides my potato salad, but that is a recipe for another day.

I grew up in the south, so of course, I learned how to make deviled eggs the southern way from early on. They were literally at everything from church picnics to after ball games to every family function under the sun! Deviled eggs are always popping up somewhere.

I am sure by now; there are TONS of various deviled egg recipes floating around the internet. Some made so thin, you can run them through a piping bag, and even some made with avocado. I am sure some of them are good, if not amazing, but these have beat all of the others I have tried over the years, so this recipe has always been my go-to recipe.

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Ingredients in Deviled Eggs

• • Eggs
  • Mayo
  • Pickle Relish
  • Mustard
  • Mayo
  • Salt
  • Garlic
  • Chipotle Powder

Mayo

Now I did have to change things up a little bit when I went grain-free, but honestly, I think it made this recipe taste even better with those slight changes. For starters, I started using my homemade mayonnaise. You can find the recipe here. It is an amazingly simple thing to make, and in doing so, you can ensure that your mayonnaise (a deviled egg staple ingredient) is grain-free. If you don't want to make your own, I suggest Primal Kitchens Mayo. They use beet vinegar when they produce theirs, so it does not contain the typical grain vinegar in conventional mayonnaise on the grocery shelf.

Pickle Relish

Now the next two ingredients commonly contain grain vinegar as well. Those are dill pickle relish and yellow mustard. Now let's talk about pickles for just a minute. People either love or hate pickles, and I get that, but this is a southern staple when it comes to deviled eggs. A LOT of pickles you buy at the store contain grain vinegar. However, there are a handful of grain-free pickle options out there. My personal favorite is Bubbies. Let me tell you why. Besides taste, Bubbies pickles not only contain NO VINEGAR, but they are all gluten-free and process in a gluten-free environment. So that means that I do not have to worry about getting sick when I use their products. This is a big deal! I mean, who wants to get sick from eating something at a family gathering, right?

Mustard 

Mustard is another southern deviled egg ingredient. I have searched at a LOT of various mustard brands over the years since going grain-free, and I am amazed at how few companies there are that don't have grain vinegar as an ingredient. I personally like plain yellow mustard in my deviled eggs, nothing fancy. My go-to mustard right now is grain-free (it uses apple cider vinegar) is the 365 Brand from Whole Foods. Now I do not live anywhere near a Whole Foods anymore; haha, thank you, Army. So whenever I get out to St Louis, I always make my husband stop by there so I can stock up on it then. I have seen it a few times on Amazon, but it will still be cheaper to buy in the store. If you aren't near a Whole Foods, either check your mustard and make sure it is grain-free if you are avoiding grains like I am.

Spices

One last note about deviled eggs! I know I will get crucified by some of my most favorite southern friends and family for this, but please STOP putting paprika in or on your deviled eggs. I know, I know that traditional southern deviled egg has that light dusting of red over the tops; however, it can ruin the flavor profile of the deviled egg itself. Paprika comes in various strengths and flavor complexities. However, the most commonly sold form is sweet paprika. The sweetness of that on top of the deviled egg can leave an almost bitter taste to some people, and no one wants a bitter deviled egg.

Tips and Tricks to get the Best Hard Boiled Eggs

If you want your deviled eggs to be as pretty as they taste, you will want to make sure they get boiled correctly to where the shells side off easily without the egg being stuck to it.

Check the age of your eggs. This will sound weird, but the fresher the egg, the worse it is when hard-boiling. Most store eggs are okay (about two weeks old)/ If you happen to be using fresh farm eggs, you might want not to use them.

I know there are many methods to boiling eggs, including "magic instant pot methods." I prefer the good ole fashion pot on the stove. It's always worked and never steered me wrong. Except for the time I got completely distracted when our daughter hurt herself and left the eggs on the stove, and they cooked so long, I burned the pot. That's totally not normal, though.

How to Boil Eggs

1. Put about 6-8 eggs in a medium-sized pot. You want to make sure the eggs are sitting completely on the bottom and not overlapping.
2. Cover with enough water that the eggs are submerged.
3. Turn the stove on to medium-high heat and bring the water to a boil.
4. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot with a lid and set a timer for 13 minutes.
5. Once the timer goes off, drain the water from the eggs and place them into an ice bath.
6. Let them sit for about 5-10 minutes. At this point, the shells should have pulled away, and the eggs are cold enough to handle.
7. There you have it, the perfect boiled eggs that have pretty whites and beautiful fluffy yellow centers.

Note: If you let the eggs completely cool, the shells can become more stuck to the eggs inside.

Can you make these ahead of time?

The answer is yes. I like to keep the egg whites, and the filling separated in sealed containers and then fill them the day I plan to serve them.

More Easy Snacks

Sweet and Tangy BBQ Beef Jerky 

Pudding Cups

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag a photo #grainfreetable or @grainfreetable on Instagram. I'd love to see what you come up with!