Deviled eggs have come a long way since my mother used to make them. Top chefs all over the world have revisited this rather classic dish and added new twists along the way, and so have I. In the past, I’ve added tappenade, pepperocini, artichoke and cayenne to mine, all with great results. This experiment was to see if the classic breakfast combo worked as well. it did, in fact it worked better than I expected.

Originally I thought that bacon would be the dominant flavor in these eggs and it was in a way, but not in the way that I expected. The first flavors that you pick up on are the tang from the mustard and lemon juice, then from the salad dressing. Next there is a hint of onion and egg, which is wonderful. Only after all of these things grace your palate does the bacon flavor come into the mix, starting of as a subtle backdrop to the other flavors, and in the end standing on its own. The bacon becomes the crescendo in a wonderful finale of flavors and textures that I will happily serve again and again.

These eggs could easily be made the day before and kept in the fridge for a quick breakfast, or served at any brunch, so feel free to use them as you see fit.

Bacon Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:

• 12 hard boiled eggs (For a great tutorial on making the perfect hard boiled eggs, look here!)
• 1 tbsp. good mustard (I used a beer mustard I just picked up, but brown mustard or Dijon would work)
• 1/3 cup salad dressing or mayo (I prefer salad dressing for my deviled eggs, but hey, I’m not the food police!)
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Remove shells from eggs and discard. Cut eggs in half lengthwise with a very sharp thin knife. (To reduce risk of tearing the whites or making uneven cuts, run the blade under warm water after cutting each egg.) Carefully remove yolks and place in a medium mixing bowl.

Mash egg yolks with the back of a fork, add remaining ingredients and mix well. Spoon into egg white halves and arrange on a serving dish. Garnish with a few pieces of green onion stems.

Refrigerate until serving.

What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:

I would have used regular bacon, rather than seasoning bacon.  Not for any difference in flavor, but just so that I would have had a bit more left over to sprinkle over the top of the eggs.

Links to other recipes like this:

• Deviled Mamba Eggs, from my fellow Texan at Hot Sauce Blog
• Not Your mother’s Deviled Eggs, from Take It or Leave It
• Firecracker Deviled Eggs, from Plaincook.com