Deviled eggs for lunch?

OK, so say you're serving deviled eggs for lunch...

a) What are the chances that it's a side vs. the main dish?

b) For both scenarios, how many are you expecting each person to eat?

c) do you make them all the same in one big batch or do you make several kinds?

Deviled eggs are always a hit with my family. For my answer, there is a fair bit of pro-deviled egg bias built in.

A. I use it as an appetizer or a side. If it is just me? It could be a main. Guy lunch!

B. I assume in one sitting that each person would consume up to two eggs (Four deviled eggs).

C. I like to make them in one big batch. I like to mix up the yolks with everything and put it in a piping bag all at once. I like step by step batch processing.

for lunch? it's a protein, it's a main. But there need to be sides, otherwise instead of 4 deviled eggs (2 whole eggs) per person they will eat 4 whole eggs per person and probably fight over the last 2. My family is MAD about deviled eggs.
(if it's just me, I'll eat just that. Girl lunch AND guy lunch!)

When I make them for appetizers at parties (they are an old-timey thing here and inevitably someone says "I haven't seen these since I was a kid") I usually make 20 whole eggs, a few end up ruined during peeling and can't be used, a few get eaten during the process, and I end up carrying them in a container that holds 30, and there are none left over.

I agree with Timothy- big batch. I might make two variations, dividing the yolk mix in half, I can do that. otherwise it's just too finicky.

We just had them for dinner last night as our main. In replacing our stove there was a snag and all we had was limited time and a hot plate to make dinner and I think it might be a meal more often now. I think everyone had about 3 to five eggs worth a piece.

At our house that is a common meal.  We don't worry about sides.

My egg cooker makes 8 eggs so the recipient might eat all eight eggs ... in one meal or two.

Christopher Weeks wrote:OK, so say you're serving deviled eggs for lunch...

Thanks for the idea! Eggs are cooking   :D

If I may be so bold to ask a supplementary question on this thread...

Do you do anything special when you make your deviled eggs?

My wife likes to add a bit of pickle juice to the yolk mixture and its delightful.

I use whatever interesting I have around- pickle brine, onion jam, thick yogurt, garden herbs.... never a set recipe.

I had them for breakfast, but that seemed almost deviant, so I changed it to lunch for purposes of this question.

When I was a boy, I learned to make them with juice from and/or diced sweet pickles. I don't keep those on hand, but sometimes use pickles or pickle brine. I don't really use a recipe -- just add some mayo and/or mustard to the yolks and then whatever else you want -- pickles, cumin, sambal, chopped dried pineapple, black pepper, diced kimchi, diced celery, etc. Then top it with something -- black pepper, smoked paprika, black sesame seeds, nori flakes, freeze-dried garlic, minced cilantro, etc.

I'm having this vision now of an upscale deviled egg bar, built in the spirit of a sushi bar, where they make each single deviled egg (pair) to order using precision, care, and the finest ingredients. It would be ridiculously expensive. I wonder how large a metropolitan area would have to be to support such a crazy niche business.

Christopher Weeks wrote:I had them for breakfast, but that seemed almost deviant, so I changed it to lunch for purposes of this question.

When my children were small, I was trying very hard to keep them away from "breakfast cereal" as I felt the only healthy thing about them was the milk and my oldest seemed sensitive to cow's milk.

I quickly came to the decision that if it was a healthy food to eat at one meal, it should be considered healthy at any meal. My oldest adored broccoli. He got leftover broccoli as part of breakfast very often during his pre-school years. School taught him that was "weird" so we had to come up with less weird choices for most of the time.

In other words, if eggs are considered a "breakfast food" then "deviled eggs" are definitely a breakfast, lunch or dinner food. Personally, I would serve other things with them.

Christopher Weeks wrote:I'm having this vision now of an upscale deviled egg bar, built in the spirit of a sushi bar, where they make each single deviled egg (pair) to order using precision, care, and the finest ingredients. It would be ridiculously expensive. I wonder how large a metropolitan area would have to be to support such a crazy niche business.

when we have rough days, my husband and I fantasize about closing our respective businesses and having a food truck on the beach (as if that would be any easier, but fantasizing is allowed, right?). I could see custom made egg bar being good street food. pick aromatics/flavors/etc and have them mixed right in front of you and put inside your eggs. The eggs are precooked, it actually seems easier than a lot of our other (possibly cockamamie) schemes....

Lunches here tend to be collections of what's available, deviled eggs definitely show up when there's hard boiled eggs around. If it's a party situation, I assume 2 to 4 halves per person depending on the crowd. For big parties, my eggs box holds 36 halves, that's the most I'm bringing somewhere.

If I make more than one flavor, I make sure they're visually distinct. Different colors of yolk paste, different toppers like an olive or pepper ring, a bit of dill leaf, a pinch of a deep red spice powder.

Flavor note - add a little bit of something vinegar to the yolk paste, It can be pickle juice, the vinegar in a mustard or other additive, or a splash of whatever you have around. It'll make the flavors you add pop and background the heavy yolk taste a bit.

"a) What are the chances that it's a side vs. the main dish?"
33.333...%, with the 3rd option being 'appetizer'. I could easily make a meal of them a couple times per week, without getting tired of them.

"b) For both scenarios, how many are you expecting each person to eat?"
For a main, 2 or 3 whole ones. As an appetizer or side, 1or 2 whole ones.

"c) do you make them all the same in one big batch or do you make several kinds?"
I start with one big batch (of up to 5doz whole eggs, because I sometimes make them for our church's funeral luncheons), then I *may* divide up the filling and do it up to 4 different ways, to accommodate tastes/ health issues, especially for parties, or for bigger events. For just us - one batch. Pickle juice (spicy b&b pickles, specifically), dijon, mayo, a little salt & pepper are my basics. I often to them with a sprinkle of paprika, black or green olive slices or halves, small chunks of pickles, etc.

Jay Angler wrote:He got leftover broccoli as part of breakfast very often during his pre-school years. School taught him that was "weird" so we had to come up with less weird choices for most of the time.

In other words, if eggs are considered a "breakfast food" then "deviled eggs" are definitely a breakfast, lunch or dinner food.

I just want to say, amen, amen, and boo for anyone who thinks otherwise. A deviled egg makes a fine breakfast, to the point that i would get up early to get first crack at the leftovers....

LOL, leftovers...

Christopher Weeks wrote:OK, so say you're serving deviled eggs for lunch...

a) What are the chances that it's a side vs. the main dish?

b) For both scenarios, how many are you expecting each person to eat?

c) do you make them all the same in one big batch or do you make several kinds?

Good questions and I wish I had a better answer but....

Speaking in the context of our immediate household, the answers depend on timing. If someone discovers them in the fridge, they become the main course while they hover over them and eat 6+.

They must be hidden and withheld until after the main dish if they stand a chance at being a side....otherwise, we lack in self control and eat them all up.

I did a search in the recipe index and then google.

I could not find a post with deviled egg recipes. Did I miss it?

Josh Hoffman wrote:I did a search in the recipe index and then google.

I could not find a post with deviled egg recipes. Did I miss it?

Yeah, I'm not finding one either. Though I sort of posted one up-thread.

Tereza Okava wrote:I use whatever interesting I have around- pickle brine, onion jam, thick yogurt, garden herbs.... never a set recipe.

I am a little excited because I have a feeling that pickled beet brine may be a winner. It is sweet and would make for interesting color.

Has anyone tried that?

Josh Hoffman wrote:

Tereza Okava wrote:I use whatever interesting I have around- pickle brine, onion jam, thick yogurt, garden herbs.... never a set recipe.

I am a little excited because I have a feeling that pickled beet brine may be a winner. It is sweet and would make for interesting color.

Has anyone tried that?

I'll send some pics of the finished product. "Boiling" the eggs now. I let them rest in the fridge for a day or two before peeling though...

Josh Hoffman wrote:pickled beet brine

Yes, it is good and makes a good color. Extra points if you throw in some finely chopped pickled beets (or pickles or relish of any kind). it's going to look like a party in there!! i am a firm believer in colorful food, so i'd be trying to add all sorts of things.

Tereza Okava wrote:

Josh Hoffman wrote:pickled beet brine

Yes, it is good and makes a good color. Extra points if you throw in some finely chopped pickled beets (or pickles or relish of any kind). it's going to look like a party in there!! i am a firm believer in colorful food, so i'd be trying to add all sorts of things.

Was the amount of sugar in the beet brine enough for sweetness or did you still like to add some sweet pickle relish also?

My beet brine has some sweetness compared to pickle brine but I dunno if it'll be enough to forgo the sweet relish?

This is probably pretty subjective on what you prefer for sweetness but I appreciate the info.

My pickled beet brine is pretty sweet but I am not super keen on sweet in the egg filling, so definitely check to your taste!