Egg-cellent BLT Sandwiches ¼ cup light cream cheese ¼ cup light mayonnaise 2 teaspoons sundried tomato pesto 2 teaspoons herbed pesto 8 slices whole wheat bread, toasted 4 large slices Bibb or iceberg lettuce 2 medium tomatoes, sliced 8 slices apple-smoked bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and halved 4 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced Sea salt Ground black pepper In a small mixing bowl beat together cream cheese, mayonnaise and pestos. Spread pesto mixture on four of the bread slices. Layer four of the bread slices with lettuce, tomato, bacon and sliced eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Spread remaining four bread slices with pesto mixture; place on sandwiches, spread sides down. Makes 4 servings.
Lemon-Dill Egg Wedge Salad 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped ½ cup chopped red bell pepper 1 stalk celery, chopped 2 green onions, finely chopped 4 strips bacon, crisp-cooked, drained and crumbled, divided 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dillweed ½ teaspoon lemon pepper ½ cup reduced-fat ranch salad dressing 1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into 6 wedges Fresh dill sprigs (optional) In a medium bowl toss together eggs, bell pepper, celery, green onions, half of the bacon, the dill and lemon pepper. Stir in salad dressing. Season to taste with salt. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Serve salad over lettuce wedges. Sprinkle each serving with remaining bacon. If desired, garnish with fresh dill sprigs. Makes 6 servings.
Avocado-licious Deviled Eggs 12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard 1 teaspoon sweet or dill pickle juice ¼ teaspoon salt Few dashes bottled hot pepper sauce 1 ripe but firm avocado, halved, pitted and peeled 2 teaspoons lime juice Spanish paprika Cut eggs in half crosswise. Remove yolks and place in a heavy resealable bag. Cover the whites and set aside. Add mayonnaise, mustard, pickle juice, salt and hot pepper sauce to the bag. Gently squeeze to combine ingredients. Cut avocado into 24 equal pieces. Toss with lime juice. Pipe mixture through hole into egg white halves. Top with an avocado piece. Sprinkle with paprika. Makes 24 servings.
Creamy Tomato-Basil Soup 1 tablespoon butter 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes 11/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth ¾ cup jarred roasted red sweet peppers, drained and chopped 2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil, crushed 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar ½ cup heavy cream (optional) 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped Melt butter in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook until tender. Add tomatoes, chicken broth and sweet peppers. Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir in basil and balsamic vinegar. Working in batches, transfer mixture to a blender. Blend mixture until smooth. (Cover the lid with a kitchen towel while machine is running.) Return soup to a clean stockpot and set over low heat. Whisk in cream and heat through. Serve immediately topped with chopped hard-boiled egg. Makes 6 servings.
Blue Cheese-Egg Dip 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped 2 cups crumbled blue cheese 11/2 teaspoons lemon juice 1/2 cup plain yogurt Carrot or celery sticks, Buffalo wings as an accompaniment Additional crumbled blue cheese Place eggs, blue cheese, lemon juice and yogurt in a blender or food processor. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle with additional blue cheese. Serve the dip with carrot or celery sticks or Buffalo wings. Makes 2 cups.
Scalloped Eggs and Ham Casserole 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced 1 cup chopped cooked ham (6 ounces) ¼ cup chopped red bell pepper 2 cups jarred alfredo sauce 1 tablespoon butter 1/3 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs) 1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese Chopped fresh Italian parsley Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease a 1-quart casserole. Layer half of the eggs, ham, and red peppers in casserole. Top with 1 cup of the alfredo sauce. Repeat layers. In a medium saucepan melt butter. Stir in panko and cheese. Evenly sprinkle over egg mixture in dish. Bake, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden. If desired, sprinkle with parsley. Makes 6 servings.