Pesto Parmesan Deviled Eggs
Pesto Parmesan Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs – the classic party food that is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Every time I bring these Pesto Parmesan Deviled Eggs to a gathering, I know I’ll be bringing home an empty platter. No clean up, no leftovers.
Who’d have thought this timeless appetizer would still be so popular today? Well, it’s the pesto that has never lost popularity, and paired with eggs and parmesan make this dish a slam dunk for any party.
I must confess – I have a problem. As a gardener, I love to buy seeds. A few years ago I decided to inventory my seeds and created a seed catalog (you can see the finished product here). What I discovered is that I have a basil-buying addiction.
When I inventoried my seeds, I found 8 packets of basil seeds. No adult in their right mind needs that many basil seeds! So I decided to grow a bunch of basil this year, and therefore have a TON of pesto on hand, too. (If you’re a fellow gardener, check out my tried-and-true tricks to grow basil from seed here.)
For this recipe, if you are not a basil-buying addict, then I recommend purchasing pre-made pesto. Our family’s favorite brand is from Costco – their Kirkland pesto is rich and well-blended.
If you’re someone who doesn’t need a family size container of Costco pesto, then good news! Pesto freezes very well. Just store it in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 6 months. Be sure to leave room in the container for it to expand.
Mastering the Hard Boiled Egg
If I had a nickel for every “perfect hard boiled egg” recipe I’ve read, I’d be a rich woman. I’ve tried them all. Until I met my Pressure Cooker, the truth is that I never knew what will happen!
Don’t have a pressure cooker? No problem! I’ll share my “works 9/10 times” recipe with you, too. Don’t let that stop you from making this amazing recipe!
Heres’s the pressure cooker I have ~ I bought it on Amazon on Cyber Monday a few years ago. SO WORTH IT!
Deviled Egg Trays ~ Not Just a Luxury!
I love stumbling upon a really great thrift store. There’s nothing like wandering the kitchen aisles in any thrift store (the dustier the better) and seeing the treasures that others have passed along. Sure there’s junk – but there’s also a ton of great finds to be discovered.
One of my favorite things to find in a thrift store is a deviled egg tray. Antique and vintage deviled egg trays are a gem to find; I’ve been known to buy them and when I have more than I need, I *oops!* accidently leave them at a friend’s house to keep the tradition alive.
Everyone loves a great deviled egg, and those amazing trays made just for them.
I also love the new, modern egg trays, too! Here are a few of my favorite finds from Amazon.
Piping Perfection
Another essential element to making the best deviled egg is to pipe the filling with a decorative piping tip. I absolutely love my piping kit that I purchased on Amazon. It has 52 pieces (over 20 different tips), a silicone reusable piping bag, a revolving cake stand and more. I like to use a classic wavy tip to give my deviled eggs a gorgeous design.
Here’s the Piping Kit I bought on Amazon, which is a perfect entry-level Piping Set for a would-be meringue maker! It comes with SO many tips that I haven’t even scratched the surface of them yet! The kit is super easy to use, easy to clean, and was a great bargain.
The Recipe
Pesto Parmesan Deviled Eggs
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker (optional)
- Piping bag with nozzle (or plastic freezer bag)
Ingredients
Pesto Parmesan Deviled Eggs
- 12 large eggs
- 2 cups water (for hard boiling eggs)
- ¾ cup pesto
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- ice for ice bath
Instructions
Hardboiled Eggs
Pressure Cooker (Instapot) Method
- Add 2 cups water and steamer basket in the bottom of pressure cooker. Add eggs.
- Carefully seal the pressure cooker; read your pressure cooker's directions carefully.
- Pressure cook the eggs for 12 minutes (according to your machine's manual), then vent the steam. (Careful! It is very hot.) Let your eggs rest for 2 minutes and prepare an ice bath bowl.
- Transfer each egg to the ice bath (see helpful NOTE below) and let the eggs rest for 12-15 minutes.
Stovetop Method
- Place 12 eggs in a medium pot and cover with water and a lid.
- Bring the water to a boil over medium heat.
- Remove from heat and let eggs rest in water for 12-15 minutes.
- Drain and cover the eggs in ice water, changing out the water as it warms.
Preparing Your Hard Boiled Eggs
- When eggs are completely cooled, drain the ice bath. Crack them gently and peel. Rinse with cold water to remove all peel fragments and set on a paper towel.
- With a sharp knife gently slice through the whites of the egg, cutting the egg so it lays the long way.
- Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl and the hollowed egg whites on your deviled egg tray.
Pesto Parmesan Filling
- Using a fork, coarsely mash the cooked yolks.
- Add the pesto and parmesan. Using a fork, combine the yolks and pesto mix so there are no pieces larger than a pea. (Large pieces will be difficult to pipe.)
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Putting It All Together
- Fill a pastry piping bag (topped with your favorite piping tip) with the Deviled Egg filling. You can also snip the corner of a plastic freezer bag to use as an improvise piping bag.
- Pipe each egg white full of Pesto Parmesan Deviled Egg filling.
- Sprinkle with smoked paprika garnish and serve cold.
Storing Your Pesto Parmesan Deviled Eggs
- Refrigerate leftover eggs (if there are any!) for up to 3 days in an air-tight container.
