Home » Deviled Egg Salad

Deviled Egg Salad

We had egg salad sandwiches frequently when I was growing up. We also had tuna salad and chicken salad. I liked them all. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I realized you couldn’t eat egg, tuna, or chicken salad from just anyplace. In fact, all of them were generally ill-advised anywhere but home. MY home, specifically.

My mom makes great egg salad. (And tuna salad. And chicken salad.) I like her egg salad a lot, but I had no idea it was dramatically different from run-of-the-mill egg salad until I ordered egg salad somewhere else.

I’ll never forget it. I was playing high school team tennis. One afternoon I finished my match early, and I was STARVING. I had to stay at the courts because other team members were still playing. The off-hours snack bar menu at the tennis club was very limited, but an egg salad sandwich on toasted white with chips sounded like just the thing to revive me.

Yeah, not so much.

When the egg salad sandwich came, the egg salad part was pretty white. It was so loaded with mayo that it was almost soupy, and the sandwich slid apart when I tried to pick it up. Worse, it smelled like mayonnaise, and not at all like egg salad.

I’m sure I ate the chips. I can assure you that I didn’t eat the sandwich.

My Mom’s egg salad was yellow and tangy with mustard, and had only enough mayo to hold it together. It was also lively with dill relish (not sweet relish), and was properly seasoned with salt and pepper. But I’ve since realized the most important difference was probably the texture.

Mom didn’t chop the boiled eggs with a sharp knife, she mashed them with the back of a dinner fork. It doesn’t take any longer than slicing or chopping, but the results are remarkably different. First, it’s easy to arrive at uniformly-sized egg bits with no weird hunks of egg white. Second, the fork-mashing creates a craggy surface on all of the egg bits, allowing the dressing to blend with the egg rather than simply sit on a slick surface. The result is an egg salad that requires less mayonnaise, and isn’t the least bit slimy. Finally, the finished product is better if you use eggs you’ve boiled and peeled, but haven’t refrigerated yet. The dressing penetrates the unchilled egg better, and everything melds into a more cohesive–and tasty–whole.

I learned quickly at the shop that we could make lovely egg salad sandwiches, and only a few customers would buy them. Since this recipe is essentially the same as my family’s deviled eggs except the yolk and eggs aren’t separate, we started labeling it “Deviled Egg Salad”. Ding, ding, ding! “Deviled” was the magic word.

“So it’s like your deviled eggs?” they would ask. “Yes, only in salad form,” Jenni would explain. Them: “It’s not real mayonnaise-y?” Jenni: “No. Malia isn’t a big mayonnaise person, either.” And out the door the sandwiches would go.

Turns out I wasn’t the only one wary of unknown egg salad.

The following recipe is for Deviled Egg Salad made with 4 hard boiled eggs. This makes two large sandwiches easily.

Full disclosure: I’ve served this exact same Deviled Egg Salad as “Deviled Egg Dip” with crackers at catering events. There’s never any left.

Deviled Egg Salad

Ingredients

Per 4 boiled eggs:

  • ½ t. salt
  • ¼ t. pepper
  • 1 scant T. mayo
  • 1 T. yellow mustard, or a little more to taste
  • 1 T. dill relish

Garnishes:

  • Dried or fresh dill, dried or fresh parsley, a sprinkle of paprika, all optional

Instructions

  • On a plate, mash the eggs up with the back of a fork. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
  • Transfer to a bowl. Add the mayo, mustard, and relish. combine thoroughly. Taste for seasoning and adjust to suit your tastes.
  • Chill before serving.
  • Excellent on crackers, soft bread, toasted bread, toast points, croissants, in lettuce cups, or a hollowed-out fresh tomato. Garnish if you like.
Newsletter Signup

Newsletter Signup

Sign up and be the first to receive our new recipes, class information and more! We promise not to share your information.

Instagram

Leftover Crab Mornay omelet.  It's what's for breakfast.
Leftover Crab Mornay omelet. It's what's for breakfast.
4 days ago
View on Instagram |
1/9
Crab Mornay is a Gulf Coast classic for a good reason--it's fantastic!

Littlecoastalkitchen.com/crab-mornay/

#southernfood #southerncooking
#holidayfood #ritzcrackers #crab#seafoodlover #foodporn #foodstagram #familyfavorite #gulfcoastcooking #fairhopefood ##yum
Crab Mornay is a Gulf Coast classic for a good reason--it's fantastic! Littlecoastalkitchen.com/crab-mornay/ #southernfood #southerncooking #holidayfood #ritzcrackers #crab#seafoodlover #foodporn #foodstagram #familyfavorite #gulfcoastcooking #fairhopefood ##yum
5 days ago
View on Instagram |
2/9
Easy Dinner!  Baked Citrus Chicken. 
BONUS:  it's a legit use of all those extra satsumas!

#southerncooking #southernfood #chickendinner #chickenrecipes #familydinner #familyfriendly #familyfavorite #citrus #oranges #lemonchicken #lemon #satsuma #kidfriendlyfood #easydinner #yum
Easy Dinner! Baked Citrus Chicken. BONUS: it's a legit use of all those extra satsumas! #southerncooking #southernfood #chickendinner #chickenrecipes #familydinner #familyfriendly #familyfavorite #citrus #oranges #lemonchicken #lemon #satsuma #kidfriendlyfood #easydinner #yum
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
3/9
'Tis the season for easy party food!  Make-Ahead Marinated Shrimp is a perennial house favorite

Littlecoastalkitchen.com/make-ahead-marinated-shrimp/

#southernfood #southerncooking #gulfcoastcooking #wildcaughtseafood #shrimp #foodstagram #holidaygoodies #holidayfood #easypartyfood #easyrecipes #horsdoeuvres #familyfavorite #yum
'Tis the season for easy party food! Make-Ahead Marinated Shrimp is a perennial house favorite Littlecoastalkitchen.com/make-ahead-marinated-shrimp/ #southernfood #southerncooking #gulfcoastcooking #wildcaughtseafood #shrimp #foodstagram #holidaygoodies #holidayfood #easypartyfood #easyrecipes #horsdoeuvres #familyfavorite #yum
3 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
4/9
Hello, happy people! We've got a  busy food week ahead; the holidays are officially here!  And you know what that means:  party food!  Here's an easy way to update an old favorite--

Pimento Cheese Sausage Balls
Littlecoastalkitchen.com/pimento-cheese-sausage-balls/

#southernfood ##thanksgiving #southerncooking #holidayfood #partyfood #holidaygoodies #footballfood #foodstagram #sausage #cheese #pimentocheese #familyfavorite #yum
Hello, happy people! We've got a busy food week ahead; the holidays are officially here! And you know what that means: party food! Here's an easy way to update an old favorite-- Pimento Cheese Sausage Balls Littlecoastalkitchen.com/pimento-cheese-sausage-balls/ #southernfood ##thanksgiving #southerncooking #holidayfood #partyfood #holidaygoodies #footballfood #foodstagram #sausage #cheese #pimentocheese #familyfavorite #yum
4 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
5/9
Here's your new holiday side:  Stuffed Acorn Squash.

It's easy, delicious, and it travels well.

Littlecoastalkitchen.com/stuffed-acorn-squash/

#holidayfood #thanksgiving #southernfood
#foodstagram #southerncooking #familyfriendly
#easyrecipes #thanksgivingrecipes #stuffedvegetables #eatyourveggies #yum
Here's your new holiday side: Stuffed Acorn Squash. It's easy, delicious, and it travels well. Littlecoastalkitchen.com/stuffed-acorn-squash/ #holidayfood #thanksgiving #southernfood #foodstagram #southerncooking #familyfriendly #easyrecipes #thanksgivingrecipes #stuffedvegetables #eatyourveggies #yum
1 month ago
View on Instagram |
6/9
Yay!  Holiday party food is such a treat!  Today's installment is Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball!

Littlecoastalkitchen.com/cranberry-pecan-cheese-ball/

#holidayfood #holidays #southerncooking #southernfood  #thanksgiving #partyfood #appetizers #cheese #cranberries #cranberry #pecans #familyfavorite #foodstagram #yum
Yay! Holiday party food is such a treat! Today's installment is Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball! Littlecoastalkitchen.com/cranberry-pecan-cheese-ball/ #holidayfood #holidays #southerncooking #southernfood #thanksgiving #partyfood #appetizers #cheese #cranberries #cranberry #pecans #familyfavorite #foodstagram #yum
1 month ago
View on Instagram |
7/9
UPDATE:  Lazy Chef's Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen is full.  HOWEVER, if we can fill another class, I'll add one!  I need 8 attendees for the class to fill.  I'm looking at the calendar now---
UPDATE: Lazy Chef's Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen is full. HOWEVER, if we can fill another class, I'll add one! I need 8 attendees for the class to fill. I'm looking at the calendar now---
1 month ago
View on Instagram |
8/9
Join us for our annual Lazy Chef's Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen 2024! I'll be making brand new, easy, inexpensive gifts this year, no cooking skills required. Class is Saturday, Dec. 7th, 10am. Email me to register: malia@littlecoastalkitchen.com. Class is $40, and it's always fun!
Join us for our annual Lazy Chef's Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen 2024! I'll be making brand new, easy, inexpensive gifts this year, no cooking skills required. Class is Saturday, Dec. 7th, 10am. Email me to register: malia@littlecoastalkitchen.com. Class is $40, and it's always fun!
1 month ago
View on Instagram |
9/9

Follow Us

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

More recipes in this category

Crab Mornay

Crab Mornay

I’ve used this Crab Mornay recipe for years.  It’s one of those utterly delicious Gulf Coast favorites we’re all delighted to see at holiday parties, and thrilled to have any other time. I'm not sure where the recipe came from originally.  I’ve seen it on upscale...

Baked Citrus Chicken

Baked Citrus Chicken

I’m always on the lookout for new chicken recipes.  Of course I require that they taste great, but I assign big bonus points for easy preparation.  And y’all already know I’m a citrus freak. You can imagine how happy I was when I first discovered Baked Citrus...

Make-Ahead Marinated Shrimp

Make-Ahead Marinated Shrimp

When I planned this post, I tried to remember when I first made this recipe.  It was one of the first keeper party recipes I found.  Working backwards, my best guess is a party when the Princess OG was in nursery school.  Let’s just say that’s been a minute.   What I...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This