The Clever Way To Transport Deviled Eggs With A Leftover Carton

Deviled eggs are a favorite at summer family barbecues — but if you're not hosting the shindig yourself, you'll have to figure out a way to get them to the location without messing up your perfectly piped filling. Avoid crowding them into a Tupperware container where they can smash into each other on the drive over. Instead, use an egg carton for a mess-free method that will keep your dish put during transport. It's important to note that this only works for reusable containers you can wash, like plastic or ceramic varieties. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, egg cartons that you buy in stores should only be used once to avoid bacteria cross-contamination.    

So how do you use an egg carton to travel with deviled eggs? First, place your empty whites in the carton cups, then fill them from there and close the lid before you leave the house. You may have to adjust your prep process slightly so that you cut the tops off of the upright eggs instead of slicing them length-wise — otherwise, they won't fit perfectly into the cups. But once you've finagled everything in your carton, you can rest easy knowing your deviled eggs will stay in place during transport, filling and all.

Aside from cleaning and preparing your carton, there are a few extra things you can do to ensure your dish gets to its destination intact. If you're bringing large quantities of eggs and don't want to deal with balancing multiple cartons in your car, you can place them on a big tray with raised edges and cover the whole thing with aluminum foil. Press the foil down in between the cartons to keep them from sliding into each other. Not only does this help keep your eggs in place, but sealing them in may help keep them cold on the way over.

If this sounds like a lot of work, you don't have to do it all at once. You can hard boil your eggs up to a week in advance, and the rest of the prep can be done up to two days beforehand. Then, get your carton ready and fill your whites up to a day ahead of time. When the barbecue day arrives, all you'll need to do is close everything up and secure it in your car.