Southern Deviled Eggs With Pimento Cheese
Add southern charm to deviled eggs by adding creamy pimento cheese, and OH MY WORD these are the best ever Southern Deviled Eggs!
All images and text ©Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average, LLC
Southern Deviled Eggs With Pimento Cheese
Pimiento cheese deviled eggs start with a bare bones classic deviled eggs recipe. This will require about 6 perfect hard boiled eggs to yield one dozen deviled eggs. The magic happens when shredded sharp cheddar cheese and finely chopped pimento is combined with an egg yolk mixture to a smooth and silken filling.
But the filling is the easy part! Sometimes, it can be tricky just to get the eggs boiled perfectly. Nobody wants to struggle with ‘chipped’ egg whites when they peel hard boiled eggs. How to hard boil an egg properly is where this recipe really begins. I walk you through a marriage of water and eggs. In fewer than 20 minutes total time, you’ll have a pot full of hard boiled eggs to execute this very southern deviled eggs recipe. I love deviled eggs!
When considering how many eggs to boil, consider how many people you will be serving. One hardboiled egg is equal to two deviled eggs. My rule of thumb is 1 whole egg or 2 deviled eggs per person. Of course you can always do more!
What to do with the bloopers? HA! Bloopers are those imperfect and ‘chipped’ egg whites that often happen when peeling eggs. Don’t worry. If you don’t plan to grace your egg dish with the “mess ups” then they become taste-bud-tempting egg salad easy enough!
Do You Love Pimento Cheese? Find My Homemade Pimento Cheese Recipe Here!
Dozens of best-of-the-best and step-by-easy-step pimento cheese deviled eggs recipes reside on the web. They are the epitome of southern casual entertaining. If there is one food that is guaranteed to show up at almost every southern get-together, I’d place my bet on it being the deviled egg.
Do You Have What’s Needed To Make Southern Deviled Eggs With Pimento Cheese? Check The List!
eggs
mayonnaise
whole grain Dijon mustard
ground mustard and cayenne pepper
Worcestershire sauce
southern pimento cheese, your favorite pimento cheese or see my recipe here
dried parsley flakes
optional garnishes
diced pimento
curry powder
fresh chives
finely shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
sweet pickle shavings
bacon crumbles
chopped pickled onion, see my recipe here
paprika
smoked salt
How This Recipe Came About…
My ingredient combination is the result of BUNCHES of good attempts. Not great, just so so.
This list though? THIS is THE LIST of final PERFECT ingredients, and I guarantee it will be hard for somebody to argue the result! I have omitted the typical add-ins to an egg recipe such as pickle juice, sweet relish, or dill pickle relish.
My easy made deviled eggs instead focus on southern pimiento cheese and a combination of TWO mustards and cayenne pepper to emphasize the delicious sharpness of the cheddar.
How To Make Deviled Eggs?
Any and EVERY classic southern deviled egg recipe begins with properly hard boiled eggs. Depending on what type of platter or deviled egg tray you plan to serve on, you’ll want to boil half as many eggs as there are depressions for egg halves. A caveat: ALWAYS boil between 1 and 3 additional eggs. Why?
Let’s talk about egg perfection for a minute. The age of an egg dictates how easily that egg will peel. In this case, purchase eggs from the grocery store, not a local farm. You want old eggs. NOT GROSS. Not.
An aged egg will peel but a fresh egg will not peel easily. Older eggs make better hard boiled eggs due in part to a thinner albumen and a larger air pocket at the top of the egg, something a fresh egg just doesn’t have. Grocery store eggs are already a couple of weeks old by the time they’re received. Grab those. Just a fact.
During the peel, not every egg releases its shell and the thin albumen skin just beneath that shell so easily. For me, it’s easy to nick the egg white during the peel with my fingernail. Mainly it’s easy to hide a nick or two just by halving the egg with the nick at the top looking right at you. Once placed down in the tray and filling piped, nobody will be the wiser to the nick (now) on the bottom of the deviled egg.
But if your eggs are significantly ‘not pretty,’ you’ll be glad for the couple of extras to make your tray complete. After all, the bloopers can easily become some tasty egg salad for tomorrow’s lunch!
How To Hard Boil Eggs?
- Place eggs in shallow cold water you’ve added to a stock pot.
- Fill the water level to one inch above the eggs.
- Set the pot atop the burner and bring the pot to a boil.
- The moment the boil begins, slap a lid on the pot and remove from the heat.
- Let sit undisturbed with the lid on for 12 minutes.
- Move the pot to the sink.
- Pour off most of the hot water and place the pot with the eggs under cool running water to stop the cooking process, about 2 to 4 minutes.
- While still in the water, gently tap and roll the eggs against the bottom of the pan to shatter the shells.
- Roll on every side and both ends so that the shell is very well fractured.
- Your eggs should peel without issue.
- Note * if you have a slow cooker or instant pot hard boiled egg method that you love and it works for you, by all means stay with it!
Modifying The Norm To Make It Not Entirely Average…
This is where I tell you that the sweet pickle relish or the dill relish your grandmother ALWAYS adds to her eggs is okay! And…so are bits of crumbled bacon, finely shaved cornichon or sweet pickles, paprika, diced pimento, fresh snipped chives, finely shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, finely chopped pickled sweet onion, or a pinch of smoked finishing salt. Use sparingly to elegantly garnish your finished eggs.
Taste an egg first. If it’s great, don’t go overboard! Consider always that “less is best.” Place each egg on the tray and tent some plastic film atop using toothpicks. Refrigerate until just ready to serve. At this point, go ahead and garnish with the prepared ingredients you’ve opted for IF you feel you need anything at all. In my photos, I am using chopped pimento and some of my micro chives from the herb bed.
What To Serve With Deviled Eggs?
I view deviled eggs as a casual party food and also elevated finger food for backyard socials and cookouts. The person who lugs the homemade deviled eggs to the barbecue is ALWAYS everyone’s hero!
Consider party and barbecue main dishes to serve alongside your deviled eggs. My Deep South Barbecue Ribs, Smoked Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Sloppy Joes, Barbecued Chicken Drumsticks, or Crispy Baked Chicken Sandwiches. And of course, whatever you and yours enjoy the most is what should ultimately end up gracing the family dinner table.
What To Drink With Deviled Eggs?
Really, ANYTHING goes here. In terms of beer (kegs and eggs!) my first notion is to urge a domestic lager such as Sam Adams. And there are too numerous to list IPA pale ales that would compliment beautifully.
As for wine, I get a bit specific. This has less to do with the egg, and rather everything to do with pairing the sharpness of the pimento cheese. Beaujolais, light, fruity and nicely acidic goes great with the zesty, creaminess of deviled eggs. If I want to be classic, a Trebbiano. This way, I am tasting some herbal and some citrus to offset the yolk. Also a classic, Gamay. A little woody and smoky compliment.
Can Deviled Eggs Be Made Ahead?
Hard boil the eggs up to 2 days in advance. Peel, halve, and remove yolks to a large mixing bowl. Place egg whites on the tray you plan to serve from, cover with plastic film, and refrigerate.
Mix the yolk and pimento cheese filling according to the recipe. I do this with the tines of a fork or wire whisk, but you can also use a mini food processor. Fill a zip-top bag or reusable piping bag with the yolk mixture. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible, and store in the fridge.
On the day you plan to serve, remove the egg halves and the filling bag from the refrigerator. Knead the yolk mixture to warm it up slightly, as a cold filling will not pipe easily.
Clip a small piece from the corner of the plastic bag. Pipe the yolk mixture into each egg white. Garnish, and serve.
Southern Deviled Eggs With Pimento Cheese
Equipment
- deviled egg tray or other serving platter
Ingredients
Ingredients for Southern Deviled Eggs With Pimento Cheese
- 6 large eggs hard boiled, peeled, yolks removed, and halved lengthwise
- 1/2 cup pimento cheese see my recipe for Piquant White Cheddar Pimento Cheese here
- 1 teaspoon whole grain Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
optional garnishes
- diced pimento
- pinch curry powder
- chives
- extra sharp cheddar cheese finely shredded
- sweet pickle shaved this like paper
- bacon crumbled
- pickled onions see my recipe here
- pinch paprika
- pinch smoked salt
Instructions
The Method
to hard boil eggs
- Place eggs in a stock pot. Fill the water level to one inch above the eggs. Bring the pot to a boil.
- When the water is boiling, immediately add a lid and remove from the heat. Let sit undisturbed with the lid on for 12 minutes. Remove lid and move the pot to the sink.
- Pour off most of the hot water and place the pot with the eggs under cool running water to stop the cooking process, about 2 to 4 minutes.
- While still in the water, gently tap and roll the eggs against the bottom of the pan to shatter the shells. Roll on every side and on both ends so that the shell is very well fractured. Peel the eggs. If you have fractured the shell enough, the shell will almost peel from the egg in one large sheet.
- Optional * place peeled eggs in an ice water bath for 5 minutes before draining.
- Halve eggs lengthwise and remove yolks to a mixing bowl. Arrange halves on a deviled egg tray or other serving platter.
to make the pimento cheese filling
- Using the tines of a fork or a stiff wire whisk, combine the yolks, pimento cheese, both mustards, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and dried parsley flakes until very smooth. Alternatively, use a mini food processor to combine.
- Use a short drinking glass and poke one corner of a plastic zipper bag down inside until it touches the bottom. Fold the remainder of the plastic zipper bag over the sides of the glass.
- Using a rubber spatula, scrape the filling into the bag. Gather the bag, removing as much air as possible. Use scissors to cut the tip off the point of the bag. This cut should be a small cut, but big enough to be able to control how much filling can be piped at once. The smaller the cut, the more accuracy and control you will have to pipe.
- Pipe the filling into each egg half.
- Garnish each egg half with desired toppings. Go lightly as you can always go back to add more if it does not look like it's enough once you are done.
Notes
Nutrition
If You Like This Recipe…
…you might also like:
Mom’s Deviled Egg Recipe
Curried Salad Eggs
Bacon And Sweet Pickle Stuffed Eggs
The Diabetic-Friendly ‘Jamie Deviled Egg’
