Handling Hard-Cooked Eggs

Hard-cooked eggs are the unsung heroes of spring celebrations everywhere, and we’ve got a trove of fast and fun ideas to get them out of their shells and onto the table.

After all the hustle and bustle of egg dyeing opens in a new tab, hiding and finding has passed, something remains – and you know I’m not referring to the hollow chocolate bunny (scientifically proven to disappear first from any Easter basket). Hard-cooked eggs are the unsung heroes of spring celebrations everywhere, and we’ve got a trove of fast and fun ideas to get them out of their shells and onto the table. 

6 Quick Fixes

Gravitate to these solutions for snacks in a pinch or a satisfying no-brainer lunch.

  1. Dip a peeled egg in a mix of smoked paprika and coarse sea salt for a protein-rich snack.

  2. Make quick pickled eggs by adding peeled eggs to brine leftover from dill pickles, or add them to a jar of pickled beets for a magenta-colored treat.

  3. Enjoy open-face egg “melts” for breakfast or brunch: Layer sliced eggs on your favorite bread, top each with slivers of cheddar or mozzarella and broil until the cheese melts.

  4. Push eggs through a sieve and use as a garnish for salads or cooked vegetables (it’s classic on asparagus!).

  5. Add chopped eggs to creamy potato salad opens in a new tab or macaroni salad.

  6. Speaking of salads, hard-cooked eggs give Tuna Salad Niçoise opens in a new tab, spinach or Cobb salads a tasty protein boost.

7 Longer Term Commitments

You’ve already done the hard work of cooking and cooling the eggs, now treat them (and yourself!) to a more in-depth preparation.

  1. Deviled eggs top our list – mash the yolks and refill the whites with flare using some of our favorite recipes like Deviled Eggs with Shrimp opens in a new tab and Watercress and Green Onion Deviled Eggs opens in a new tab

  2. Make a batch of egg salad with mayo, sweet pickle relish and lots of crunchy celery. Add a few pinches of curry powder and some sliced almonds for an easy change-up.

  3. Our friends at Food52 unearthed James Beard’s Strawberry Shortcakes opens in a new tab, which rely on hard-cooked egg yolks for adding a light richness to the delicate cakes.

  4. Blended into meatball recipes, hard-cooked eggs find a (barely detectable) home.

  5. Hard-cooked eggs can also be engulfed whole in a meatloaf mixture before baking. When the meatloaf is sliced, the sunny egg makes an appearance at the center of the loaf.

  6. Try as a filling for enchiladas or tacos, doused in a savory pumpkin seed sauce (we like the one from this recipe opens in a new tab).

  7. Drop hard-cooked eggs into a simmering curry sauce and you’re ready to put egg korma on your table.

Deviled Eggs with Shrimp

How do you take advantage of the glut of hard-cooked eggs spring brings? Let us know below, and be sure to enter our Darned Good Deviled Eggs opens in a new tab contest.

Explore More