If You Want to Win Friends This Summer, Make these Deviled Eggs

I first created these deviled eggs for The Kitchn. I have been a deviled egg lover and a pimento cheese fanatic for years, so mashing the two together for summer picnic food made perfect sense to me. Good thing I did as these Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs with Toasted Pecans have become one of the most downloaded recipes on this site.

The trick to these eggs is to hard-cook them exactly 15 minutes and then plunge them into ice water. This creates the perfect yolk to crumble into the pimento cheese mixture.

I am partial to pimento cheese on the drier side rather than the looser, mayo-generous varieties many devour. This recipe uses just enough mayonnaise to bring together the other ingredients and let the flavor of the egg yolk stand out. White cheddar works much better in the filling over traditional orange cheddar, as its sharpness balances best with the creamy yolks. Bits of fresh red pepper are stirred in to refresh and enhance the flavor of the roasted pimentos. The addition of toasted pecans plays up deviled eggs’ Southern heritage (Georgia is my home state after all) and gives a nice nutty bite. Sometimes, just for kicks, I add grated fresh Parmesan to bring in some depth and sophistication to this fairly simple dish.

I am a fan of serving these deviled eggs on cake stands. But they carry well in an egg carrier.

Serves: 12 Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 13 large eggs (in case one breaks)

• 1¼ cup extra sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

• ¾ cup mayonnaise

• 1 (4-ounce) jar pimentos, drained very well and chopped

• 2 tablespoons red pepper, finely chopped + pieces for garnish

• ⅓ cup toasted pecans, chopped (reserve 1 Tablespoon for garnish)

• 1 clove garlic, grated

• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

• 3-4 good shots of Tabasco (or other hot sauce)

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Place raw eggs in a large pot and fill with cold water to about 1½ inches above the eggs. Bring the pot to a boil on medium high heat. Take off the heat and cover. Let stand 15 minutes. Immediately drain the hot water from the pot and run cold water over the eggs to stop the cooking. Add a handful of ice cubes to keep the water cold. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, add the cheese, mayonnaise, pimentos, red pepper, pecans, garlic, salt, pepper and Tabasco. Add the Parmesan, if desired. Mix very well. Let stand while preparing the eggs.

3. Remove the shells from the eggs. Tap the wider bottom of the egg on the counter to find the air pocket under the shell and place under running water to peel - the shell should come off more easily. Place the eggs on a few layers of paper towel to wick away any moisture, making sure to pat the tops so the eggs are fully dried.

4. Cut the eggs in half long ways. Place the yolks in a small bowl and the egg whites on a large rimmed plate (I like to use a cake plate) or in a deviled egg carrier if you’re traveling.

5. Using a fork, crumble the yolks into pea sized pieces. Add to the pimento cheese and gently fold in until fully incorporated. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the pimento cheese/egg mixture into the egg whites. Garnish with a small piece of red pepper. Dust with some additional pecan crumbles if desired. Chill until ready to serve.

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