Suburban Homesteading – Frugal Living

Now that the days are becoming longer my girls are ramping up the egg production.  It’s a blessing and a curse (of sorts) with my unpredictable work schedule.  I get to have fresh free range eggs for all my recipes, but in some weeks I have way more eggs than I can use.  Nice problem, right!

There are many ways to use excess eggs.  There are quiches or frittatas; custards and curds; or breakfast for dinner.  Some people even swear by freezing eggs for omelets or baking.  That’s a tad unappealing to me, though.

Our favorite way of using up excess eggs has always been good old fashioned egg salad.

Whether it was used for sandwiches or served heaped on top of crackers, it was the “go-to” take along for volleyball tournaments, weekend sheep shows, or just day tripping up the coast on a beautiful weekend.  I remember my DD’s volleyball team “always” requested egg salad sandwiches for their away games and we never left for a livestock show without a pack of finger sandwiches for road trip snacks.  Good thing I had 20 hens, and two large stock pots for boiling all those eggs!

Not only is egg salad a nutritious, protein packed alternative to other options, it’s also super easy to make and easy to pack in a small ice chest.

I’ve heard people say they don’t like egg salad because the eggs always taste a bit rubbery.  This would be true if the eggs were boiled too long, becoming overcooked.  But—I have covered on that.

A Foolproof Way to Boil Eggs

1.)  Place eggs in the bottom of a large stock pot.  The eggs go in first because they can break if you drop them in.  They can also crack if you drop them in hot water.

2.)  Fill pot with water to cover eggs by an inch or two.

3.)  Place pot on the stove over high heat.

4.)  Bring water to a rolling boil.

5.)  Remove pan from the stove and put a lid on the pot.

6.)  Let stand for 15 to 18 minutes.

7.)  Drain eggs and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.  (This is why eggs get rubbery. They are over cooked)

Once the eggs are completely cooled they can be peeled.

Now you’re ready to make the best egg salad you’ve ever tasted!

The Best Ever Egg Salad Recipe

12 hardboiled eggs, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup mayonnaise (I prefer mayo over salad dressing)

2 Tbsp. yellow mustard

2 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish

Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients thoroughly until well combined.

The finished salad can be spooned over bread to make a sandwich, or topped on crackers.

BTW—this same recipe can be used for making deviled eggs, too.  Simply cut the hardboiled eggs in half length-wise.  Scoop out the yolks and mix with the mayo, mustard, relish and pepper, adjusting the amounts to fit the number of yolks you have.  Spoon the mixture into the hollow and lightly sprinkle with sweet paprika.

1. Dora Friedli says:

   April 18, 2018 at 10:26 am

   Sounds good! How long will this keep in the refrigerator?

2. jenn says:

   April 19, 2018 at 9:34 pm

   It is super good. I usually make small batches just for one or two lunches, so it doesn’t hang around the fridge for long. A larger batch would be good for several days, but honestly…it won’t last that long:)