For A Deviled Egg Taste Without The Hassle, Grab This Ingredient For Your Boiled Eggs

There's little wonder why deviled eggs are so universally beloved, with their rich, satisfying egg white and creamy, savory, spicy filling. They're craveable as a party appetizer or just as a snack. But especially for the latter hankering, they can admittedly be a bit of a process to make. Even a classic, easy deviled egg recipe without bells and whistles can take a while with multiple steps; once you boil the eggs, you still have to make the filling, and then pipe it all back into the egg whites. What if you want the delicious taste of deviled eggs, but you're short on time, or just whipping up a midday bite? The secret is mustard.

Mustard is one of the best ways to upgrade simple hard-boiled eggs, and the combination replicates the flavor and texture experience of enjoying deviled eggs because of the creaminess plus piquant spiciness, and savoriness. For deviled eggs, mustard is a key ingredient, and its taste can be quite dominant in each bite. So, adding just the mustard to the right of a hard-boiled egg is a clever shortcut. Instead of having to remove the yolks from hard-boiled eggs and mash them with the mustard plus mayonnaise, relish, and seasonings, you can simply dab the mustard right onto a halved hard-boiled egg. This either means you're still making hard-boiled eggs but then skipping straight to the snacking part, or — even quicker — that you're pulling from your weekly hard-boiled egg supply and just adding mustard.

This deviled egg-style snack hack can truly be as quick as adding a dollop of mustard to a halved hard-boiled egg, or you can give the mustard a quick stir with olive oil to make it saucier. Either way, add salt and pepper to achieve that deviled-egg depth of flavor. There are also plenty of other twists you can add to this snack or appetizer to elevate it without venturing into time-consuming territory. Consider spices and seasonings, especially those you might use with deviled eggs, like paprika, garlic powder or garlic salt, chili powder, or red pepper flakes; or lean more herbaceous with rosemary, thyme, dill, or tarragon.

These combinations are where you can play with different mustard types. Dijon is a popular go-to; its spices would sing with a nutty cheese like gruyere or manchego, crumbled or grated onto the eggs. Yellow mustard may get you thinking about all-American hot dogs — add diced onions, pickle rounds, or relish to your hard-boiled eggs. Get creative and use honey mustard with a sprinkling of crushed pretzels for your saltiness and some crunch, or add brown mustard with a small slice of your favorite cured meat. When in doubt, reach for toppings that enhance texture, flavor complexity, freshness, and even heat, like chives or bell peppers. You can make these simple for your own spontaneous snacks or dress them up to serve as dinner-party hors d'oeuvres or outdoor barbecue sides.