Cold water ‘old’ eggs vinegar or salt (for water) Marzetti’s slaw dressing Paprika (optional)
Pot w/lid Food Processor Spoon Bowl Piping bag or plastic baggie and pair of scissors, scooper, or spoons
Start with some cold water in a pot and add a pinch of salt or tablespoon of vinegar to keep the eggs from cracking. You need just enough water to cover the eggs, so add some and then if you need more, add a little bit until the are submerged. Don’t crowd the pan, so if you’re making a lot, don’t be afraid to use more than one pot, they wash out easily.
The key to perfectly peeled deviled eggs is to start with OLD eggs. Two weeks, minimum. I know what you’re thinking. Old? But how will I know if they are still good? Fortunately there is an easy test which requires no extra effort on your part. Eggs that are past their prime will FLOAT. If you get a floater as you put it in the water, just toss it away. I’ve used eggs as old as FIVE weeks and they were all fine. If you’re concerned at all, you can also test them in a glass of water as you go.
Put them on the stove on high and then wait for the pot to boil. You can lid it and then check to see if it’s boiling, but you just want to see it at a full rolling boil. Once you notice that the pot is boiling, turn the burner off and remove the pot from the heat, cover it and let it sit for 20 minutes. Drain off the hot water and cover with cool water in the sink, remove water as it heats until the water stays cool and the eggs are able to be handled.
At this point you can dry them and put them in the fridge for up to 7 days/1 week.
Otherwise, lightly crack the eggs on the edge of the counter all over, and starting from the FAT end, peel gently. The reason you start from this end is that as the egg ‘ages’ it will slowly ‘dry out’ from this end. That’s not the technical term, but do you REALLY want to get technical? Right. If you have trouble with an egg, set it aside and do it at the end. I find that the more frustrated I am, the more likely I am to rip the egg and it will be more difficult to have a ‘nice’ looking deviled egg. Rinse the eggs and pat dry, then cut in half longways and dump the yolks into your food processor, setting the eggs into your serving tray or to-go container if you are traveling. Blend the yolks until finely ground and then dump them into the bowl. If you’re doing LOTS of eggs, do this in batches.
Add a dollop of Marzetti’s slaw dressing. Obviously, you can’t take this out, so you want to go slow and mix with a fork or spoon until you reach the consistency and taste that you desire. That’s right, no mixing mustard and vinegar and mayo. Just add the slaw dressing. At this point you can use the spoon and scoop the mix into the egg halves, OR you can scoop it all into a piping bag or plastic baggie, and cut one corner off the bag to fill the eggs. If you’re looking to impress, this is a great trick. It does take a minute to scoop it into the bag, but you have a LOT less mess overall because you can fill them without having to use multiple utensils, scraping the egg off the spoon, etc. As a bonus, it looks REALLY pretty and helps you to get about the same amount (swirl swirl) into each egg. If that’s too fancy, you can always use a melon-baller or small cookie scoop instead.
Top with paprika or your favorite toppers and chill until you’re ready to go!
