Who would have thought, a National Deviled Egg Day, devoted to one of the most popular appetizers ever to make it to a Midwest holiday feast?
We always had deviled eggs at home, at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter especially, and for other special family gatherings, too. Couldn't put them out too early, though, because they would start disappearing well before dinner time.
I never knew there weren't special plates made to serve them, because this dish was so popular in my world growing up.
When it comes to the best deviled egg plates, the more spaces the better. My mother had several, as well as the special Tupperware totes designed to take them to pot luck dinners.
So do I.
Deviled egg plates are made in glass, ceramic and plastic, to help you select from a variety to suit your event (formal or casual) and table setting style. They come in all kinds of colors, shapes and sizes, even egg-shaped plates.
At home, the filling for our deviled eggs was made simply with the egg yolks, some mayonnaise and a little salt. Not even a sprinkle of paprika. My dad liked his food bland.
Nowadays I enjoy mine with some yellow mustard for zing, paprika on top for color, and even experimental versions.
My friend Chef Lynn Miller, author of Flavor Secrets: Back to the Basics, has really inspired me to play around with food. She added some leftover smoked salmon to hers, and oh yeah, those are good!
The photo above shows her eggs in a ceramic egg dish by Hartstone, in the Russet Apple pattern. Plenty of indents, a pattern that can work for all seasons, and color to show off the eggs.
Her style is to teach you to experiment and learn the "why," so that you can make creative choices and take your cooking to the next level. That works well to explore many different dishes, old favorites and new ones, too. (See my Chef Lynn/Flavor Secrets page for more of her cooking ideas.)
So, my next venture into making deviled eggs will include some finely chopped sweet pickle, and some celery, too. When I try adding salsa, I'll leave out the mustard.
Some Deviled Egg Tips
- Follow instructions that help you peel the eggs cleanly, such as using older eggs, and plunging them into cold water. Just about every food and recipe website has these tips. Your eggs will look their best in the dish if they don't have craters in the whites (except in the spot where the yolk has been).
- Take unfilled deviled eggs to a gathering, along with the filling in a piping bag. Fill the eggs on-site to keep the serving plate clean.
- Look for vintage deviled egg dishes by Indiana Glass and Anchor Hocking for a retro touch to your table setting. Those will take you, your family and friends back to the 1960s and 1970s. Some were made to serve eggs alone, others to serve eggs with some pickles, olives, radishes and other finger foods on the same plate.
- Add new deviled egg dishes to your collection, to give you flexibility in your table setting. Glass goes for the main dinner table, and melamine for the kids table, for example. Pick your favorite patterns and colors to complement your best table settings.
A selection of deviled egg plates in your cupboard will help you serve these tasty morsels at any occasion. The best of old and new come together in this favorite holiday food tradition.
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