Buffalo Deviled Eggs

Makes: 12 egg halves

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 hard-cooked large eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil mayonnaise
  • 1½ tablespoons Frank’s RedHot Wings Sauce or other Buffalo-style hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese, divided
  • 1 medium rib celery, minced (about ¼ cup)
  • Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Bacon ranch dip (recipe below) or store-bought, for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Spoon the egg yolks into a medium bowl. Add the mayonnaise, hot sauce, and 1 tablespoon of the blue cheese; mash with a fork until well blended. (Alternatively, you can blend the ingredients in a small food processor.) Fold in the celery. Taste and season with salt and pepper. 
  2. Spoon the filling into the egg whites, or place it in a resealable plastic bag, snip off a corner, and pipe the filling into the whites. Crumble the remaining tablespoon of blue cheese on top. Drizzle with bacon ranch dip, if desired, and serve.

Bacon Ranch Dip 

Makes: 2/3 cup

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 9 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 3 ounces bacon (about 3 slices)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
  • ¼ cup avocado oil mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh dill
  • ¼ teaspoon raw honey
  • Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions 

  1. Put the bacon in a large unheated skillet. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook until the bacon is crisp but not overly browned, turning the slices over a few times, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a cutting board. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat (reserve the extra fat for another use).
  2. Reduce the heat to low, then add the garlic to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a blender or small food processor. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard powder, lemon zest and juice, parsley, dill, and honey; blend until smooth. (Alternatively, you can whisk the ingredients together in a medium bowl.)
  3. Finely chop the bacon and fold it into the dip. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve, or cover and refrigerate to serve later; it will keep for up to 5 days. The dip will thicken in the refrigerator.

BONUS: Bacon Ranch Dressing. This dip can double as a salad dressing. Just whisk in a little olive oil, milk, or even water to thin it to the consistency you want. Taste and add more seasoning, if needed.

Excerpted from CarnivoreISH, 2022 Victory Belt Publishing. Photo: Beth Lipton.