We’re guessing you have a few left over from Easter; here are some ideas

The egg as a leftover gets overlooked.  Take turkey.  Every year at the end of November, emails flood my in-box with recipes for how to roast the perfect turkey; then, after the Thanksgiving holiday, another flurry of emails arrives with recipes for creative ways of using all the leftovers.  In these late November recipes, turkey finds its way into hearty casseroles, soothing soups, spicy fajitas, and decadent sandwiches.

Conversely at Easter, the egg gets its time in the spotlight leading up to the big event and then disappears as quickly as the chocolate bunnies in my Easter basket.  What a shame.

Open up a carton of eggs in most houses this week and you’ll find a dozen colorful hard-boiled eggs waiting to be eaten.  They have watermarks from being carefully hidden in dewy grass on Sunday morning, but thanks to speedy hunters they were picked up quickly enough to still be eaten.  Growing up, we got to eat the most beautiful egg we found for breakfast on Easter morning and the rest were packed away for meals later in the week.

Using up leftover hard-boiled eggs does not require a lot of work.  They can be sliced on salads, eaten plain with a bit of salt, or gently smashed with mayonnaise for sandwiches.  And, if you are willing to devote just a couple extra minutes to their preparation, they can be deviled.

It seems the traditional deviled egg made with mayonnaise and mustard and sprinkled with earthy paprika is somewhat passé.  Nowadays, deviled eggs strut their stuff with ingredients such as smoked salmon and crab and toppings of caviar and salmon roe.  And while I certainly appreciate the culinary advancement of the humble egg, I’m not sure I’m ready to abandon the original comfort food favorite.

Which is why I created a recipe for deviled eggs that straddles the line between the past and present.  Shrimp are added for a touch of decadence, while the recipe stays true to that which we all know and love.  The recipe itself is simple and easy to make.  In short, it’s the perfect way to use up those remaining eggs and celebrate the arrival of spring.

Deviled Eggs with Shrimp
Makes 12 deviled eggs

6 large eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup diced cooked shrimp
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning or a similar spice blend
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Place eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with 1-inch of cold water.  Bring the water to a boil over medium-heat.  When water is boiling, cover the pot with a lid and remove from the heat.  Let the eggs sit, covered, for 15 minutes.

Remove the eggs from the water and place in a bowl of ice water to cool.  To easily peel the eggs, crack the eggs open by rolling them on a counter while pressing down slightly with the palm of your hand.  The shell should break into tiny pieces making it easier to remove the shell without pulling off pieces of the cooked egg white.

Slice each peeled egg in half and use a small spoon to carefully remove the cooked yolk and place it in a small bowl.  Set the egg whites aside until ready to use.

Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, diced cooked shrimp, and Old Bay seasoning to the egg yolks and stir until combined.  Spoon the yolk mixture back into the egg whites or use a piping bag and tip for a fancier presentation.  Garnish each deviled egg with a sprinkling of chopped chives.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nikki Sawyer Moore is a Charlotte-based food writer and chef. She is a 2003 Davidson College graduate, writes the food blog “Minced,” and cooks and teaches cooking through her business Food Love, in Charlotte.