I have a confession that may sound odd poised next to this headline: I do not like deviled eggs. In fact, the only kind of eggs I can say with absolute certainty that I do enjoy are scrambled eggs with lots of cheese and spices.
I know that makes me the odd woman out, seeing as how deviled eggs are a staple of Southern get-togethers and holiday feasts everywhere. I know this because when we all pile into my parents’ house for seasonal celebrations – “all” being my nine siblings ranging in age from 9 to 34, my sister-in-law and her and my brother’s two young kids – I am the only one who lets the plate pass. Even my eldest sisters are fans, despite one nearly only otherwise eating plain cheeseburgers and the other having an unfathomable disdain for cheesecake (true story). The iconic side dish even has its own holiday: National Deviled Egg Day, celebrated on Nov. 2.
While I could see deviled eggs being Satan’s favorite food, their name actually refers to the culinary term “deviling.” References to deviling first popped up in Britain in the 18th century to describe dishes including spicy ingredients – 14 centuries after the Romans hatched the trend of serving boiled, seasoned eggs at feasts. A collection of Roman recipes from the 4th or 5th century A.D. includes recipes for dressed-up boiled eggs.
Recognizing that my dislike will never change my family’s holiday menu, I decided to try and find some deviled egg recipes that actually sound appealing to me. Cheese? Check. Spice? Absolutely. After all, if you can’t beat ’em, devil ’em and join ’em.
AVOCADO & BACON DEVILED EGGS