How To Put Together The Ultimate Deviled Egg Bar

From cocktails to condiments, everyone likes a wide variety of food options at a party, and giving guests ways to dress up their deviled eggs at a brunch or cookout is a surefire strategy to make your gathering a hit. Whether you go small with just a few bowls of assorted garnishes or get fancy with the fillings, any deviled egg enthusiast will be a fan of a deviled egg bar.

One of the most important parts of planning a spread of deviled eggs is making sure you have plenty to go around. Prepare at least two full eggs per person and throw a few extra in when boiling, to account for any mishaps when peeling and preparing (you want them to look nice, after all).

For a simple but elevated experience, start by whipping up a classic deviled egg recipe and offering a variety of toppings. Herbs and aromatics can add a pop of color and fresh flavor — consider dill, basil, cilantro, and scallions. Veggies like diced tomatoes or bell peppers work well, too. You can also opt to add some extra protein to the table; crumbled bacon is an obvious pairing and so is diced ham, but smoked salmon or small shrimp will really take the eggs to the next level. To allow guests to incorporate some crunch in a fun way, provide potato chips to sprinkle on top. Finally, it's good to offer a variety of powdered seasonings and spices to shake onto the eggs.

When you're building your bar, you'll want to consider logistics so that guests are easily able to craft their customizable eggs. First, offer plenty of plates or bowls, and stock the bar with forks for those who may not prefer to use their hands. Also add tongs and spoons for serving the eggs and all of the garnishes. If any of the ingredients might be unfamiliar to guests attending the party, be sure to label them (and label ingredients containing allergens, too!).

Between boiling the eggs as well as peeling and making the filling, deviled eggs can be somewhat time-consuming. Fortunately, you can make them ahead of time. Just cook and slice the eggs, make the filling, and store them in the fridge separately for a day or two. If you're serving the eggs already filled alongside the other toppings, you can do the final prep work just before serving. On the other hand, if you're serving a variety of fillings that have been made with different mix-ins, you could spoon them into labeled piping bags for guests to fill their own eggs.

Finally, keep an eye on the time that the eggs and the filling (if it's separate) sit out — two hours is the max. If you're planning on a long party, you may want to keep half of your eggs and filling in the fridge and rotate those out (and the others into the fridge) to keep everything at a safe temperature.

Making deviled eggs seems easy enough, but there are a few ways to make sure they turn out perfectly. One of the most important parts is ensuring that you have a perfectly creamy filling. To start, turn to your mesh strainer for processing the yolks. Simply press the yolks through the strainer into the mixing bowl so that you have a fine crumb that will easily mix with your wet ingredients. Then, take a tip from Alex Guarnaschelli and use a little unsweetened whipping cream when mixing. That will help to give the yolky filling a silky-smooth consistency.

If things still somehow go awry, there are a few other ways to adjust the consistency. If it's too thick, you can just add more mayo or other wet ingredients. But if it's too thin, there's a fix for that, too. You can either be proactive and boil more eggs than needed so that you have extra yolks, but if you don't, incorporating some instant mashed potato flakes will fix a runny filling. 

Finally, when you're setting up the egg bar, you'll want a pretty presentation. One solution is to purchase a deviled egg tray, but for a less costly option, just slice a small amount of the white off of the bottoms so that the eggs will stand up vertically on your serving trays. The display will look a lot more inviting, compared to simply laying them down.