Chicken Salad Deviled Eggs

You know how sometimes you get an idea in your head and then you just can’t let it go?

That’s what happened here. A couple weeks ago, when I was planning potential Memorial Day food, I got the idea for chicken salad deviled eggs. I figured I like chicken salad, and I love deviled eggs, so why not?

Turns out, it was a brilliant idea!

I mean, it’s not really too much of a stretch, since some people put hard boiled eggs in their chicken salad, right? Chicken + Eggs. It’s kind of a given.

I wanted to make these FOR Memorial Day, but when I mentioned it at home, my family was…skeptical. So we ended up making my Moms tried and true (absolutely fabulous) deviled eggs. However, this idea would not go away. I had to make chicken salad deviled eggs. Or at least, I had to try. My mind would not let it go. I wasn’t even sure if it was going to work or not.

They may not be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever made. I cannot peel hard boiled eggs to save my life. I have no idea why. When we made them at my parent’s house, they were perfect. When I tried at my own apartment? Not so much. My failed attempts at peeling hard boiled eggs have on more than one occasion ruined a perfectly good morning.

And because I wasn’t about to hard boil another dozen eggs just to see if they’d turn out, we have imperfect, uneven, slightly sad looking deviled eggs. Ignore it and eat up. They taste great. It’s a typical chicken salad base with a twist – I used homemade dill mayo. Dill is another one of those spices that I love, but lately I haven’t been using it as much. When the idea for chicken salad eggs came to mind, I knew I wanted the dill flavor – and adding it to my homemade mayo (which turned out beautifully this time, thank goodness), was the perfect solution.

I wish I would have made these in time for Memorial Day – they are the perfect little addition to a picnic or potluck. They are easy, but also a little more impressive than regular old deviled eggs…at least in my opinion, although that could be because I am biased at the moment. Plus the added chicken gives them a little extra protein kick, which hopefully means you won’t fill up too much on all that extra picnic fare. Or not.

I see these making an appearance for 4th of July.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED (makes 24 eggs)

one dozen eggs, hard boiled

2 cans chicken or 2 cups cooked chicken, chilled and shredded

1/2 cup homemade mayo (you can use more if you like it a little creamier)

3 stalks celery, diced

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 tsp curry powder

salt and pepper to taste

WHAT YOU DO:

Slice eggs in half and remove yolks. In a bowl, combine eggs yolks, chicken, mayo, celery, onion, curry powder and season with salt and pepper to taste. Using a melon baller (or a spoon if you don’t have a melon baller…which I didn’t), scoop rounded spoonfuls of chicken mixture into each egg white. Top with fresh parsely and/or paprika.