Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs

Remember last week when I was searching for some inspiration for a savory appetizer? Well, my friend Amanda chimed in with a suggestion to make deviled eggs. Oddly enough, the night before I had gone to bed thinking of the deviled eggs I’d eaten at Holeman and Finch in Atlanta the weekend before.

That settled it. Deviled eggs were going to be mine.

Not just any deviled eggs would do though. These had to be different. As luck would have it, I’d torn a page of recipes from a Country Living magazine on a recent visit to my parents’. The page contained about a dozen different twists on the traditional deviled egg, and pretty much all sounded fantastic.

Picking just one proved to be too difficult, so I settled on two versions for the party I was to attend. While I was happy with the end result of both, this Pimento Cheese version really rocked my socks off.

Great for potlucks in the winter or picnics in the summer, I have a feeling these will be making an appearance often on the buffet table!

Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs

Makes 24 servings. From Country Living.

Ingredients:

12 large eggs
2 tsp white vinegar
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 oz (6 Tbsp) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp diced pimientos
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:

In a large pot over high heat, bring eggs, vinegar, and enough cold water to cover by 1 inch to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high to maintain a medium boil and cook eggs for 8 minutes. Drain and run eggs under cool water. Fill a bowl with cold water, add eggs, and let sit for 20 minutes to cool at room temperature.

Peel eggs and halve lengthwise. Remove yolks and transfer to a medium bowl. Set aside whites on a serving plate. With a fork, break up yolks until fluffy.

To yolks, add cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, diced pimientos, dry mustard, salt, and freshly ground pepper; mix. Fill egg whites. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until ready to serve.

Note: I’d never made deviled eggs in my life before this. While they weren’t difficult at all, the process of  peeling off a dozen egg shells took a bit longer than expected. I say this so, unlike me, you plan accordingly and aren’t racing to finish up right before you walk out the door to your potluck!