For too long egg salad has been relegated to the world of “Things Your Grandmother Ate.”  I do not understand this, eggs are full of protein, cheap (oh-so important in this economy), near impossible to mess up too badly, and reasonably healthy (if you don’t eat too many or use too much mayo).  Egg salad doesn’t have to be just another over-mayo’d, under seasoned sammich filling, no no… Egg salad can be so, so much more.

I had a roommate in college, who is now blogging (sometimes), who used to love egg salad as much as I do… maybe even more.  We used to think it is a southern thing because none of our friends who grew up north of the Mason-Dixon line or “out west” had ever even considered egg salad a legit food for someone who didn’t need dentures.  She made it with mustard, which was great and actually could probably just be added into the version below.  I’m a fan of hot egg salad, I like adding paprika or red pepper and had a friend who swears by curry powder but that just seems a little exotic for me.

I used a variation of this recipe from 101 Cookbooks.  Basically, I made a half-batch, used red onions instead of chives, ground red pepper instead of paprika, and omitted the celery because we didn’t have any in the house and I needed my egg salad ASAP.  Maybe I changed more than I thought?  Well, that 101 Cookbooks version was my starting point so I feel you should use it as your baseline too.

I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t take a photo of the finished product because, um, I immediately put it on some toast for lunch.  I know, I know… if I was a really dedicated blogger I’d have done that but, when egg salad calls I am helpless.  Besides, I mean… ya’ll all know what an egg salad sandwich looks like.

I’ve pasted the recipe from 101 Cookbooks below, but it is worth heading over there– lots of great recipes and tips.  We’ve pulled more than one excellent and easy dinner off that site…

Here is the 101 Cookbooks info:

6 large eggs
1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
A tiny squeeze of lemon juice
2 stalks celery, washed and chopped
1/2 bunch chives, chopped
2 small handfuls of lettuce
8 slices of whole grain bread, toasted

Bring to a gentle boil. Now turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for exactly seven minutes. Have a big bowl of ice water ready and when the eggs are done cooking place them in the ice bath for three minutes or so – long enough to stop the cooking. Crack and peel each egg, place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, a couple generous pinches of salt and pepper, now mash with a fork. Don’t overdo it, you want the egg mixture to have some texture. If you need to add a bit more mayo to moisten up the mixture a bit, go for it a bit at a time.

Stir in the celery and chives. Taste, and adjust the seasoning – adding more salt and pepper if needed.

To assemble each egg salad sandwich: place a bit of lettuce on a piece of toast, top with the egg salad mixture, and finish by creating a sandwich with a second piece of toast.

Make 4 sandwiches.