Smoky Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
- 12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
- 6 ounces extra-sharp yellow cheddar, coarsely grated and at room temperature
- One 4-ounce jar diced pimentos, well-drained and finely chopped
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise, or more to taste (preferably either Duke’s brand or homemade)
- 1 ½ ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 ½ tablespoons grated Vidalia onion (or other sweet onion)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (Pimentôn)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Crystal hot sauce, or your favorite Louisiana red hot sauce
- 2 pinches sugar
Optional garnishes:
- Sliced Calabrian chiles
- Crispy crumbled bacon
- Pickled jalapeno slices
- Sliced olives
- Paprika
- Chopped boiled shrimp
Directions
Gently remove the yolks from the egg halves and save half of the yolks for another purpose. Place the remaining halves in a fine sieve positioned over a mixing bowl and push them through the sieve into the bowl.
Add the cheese, pimentos, mayonnaise, cream cheese, onion, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, hot sauce, and sugar and stir until the cheese is still in distinct pieces but has begun to meld with the mayonnaise. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Place the filling in a piping bag with a plain round tip or in a food-storage plastic bag and snip the tip open. Squeeze the filling into the center cavities of each egg half.
Garnish with the desired toppings and serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour or up to several days.
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