Egg salad has as many variations as you can imagine. Everyone has their favorite home recipe as well as each church, ladies auxiliary and several cultures! Egg Salad keeps safely for up to 48 hours when well covered and refrigerated. Some people use all of the yolks and only a portion of the hard-boiled egg whites. Then there are those exactly opposite, choosing to use more of the egg white and less of the protein-rich, higher fat yolks. Included here is a basic, starter egg salad recipe and then a listing for some add-in ingredients that interests many palates.

BASIC EGG SALAD

4 hard-boiled egg, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Toasted bread of your choice (with or without crust!)


INTERESTING ADD-INS

1/4 cup minced celery, 2 tablespoons minced onion, and 2 tablespoons chili sauce.
1/4 cup cooked chopped chicken and 1 teaspoon curry powder.
1/2 cup minced ham and 2 teaspoons prepared mustard.
2 tablespoons minced pickles, 1 teaspoon prepared mustard, and 1 teaspoon minced onion.
1 tablespoon minced green bell pepper , 1 tablespoon chopped pimiento, and 1 teaspoon chili powder.
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
horseradish
bacon
chopped onions or chopped red onions
dried dill
fresh basil leaves
celery seed
olive, green with pimentos

Most often, egg salad is served on toast to avoid soggy bread. Many a hostess has created toast points and toast shapes to catch the eye. Sprinkling the tops of the toast with paprika or slices of green, pimento-filled olives hint at the delicious, creamy contents of your favorite egg salad twist. Be really creative and toast a design or shape onto the toast. Today, many artisan breads are egg salad presenters - marble ryes, dill white bread, pumpernickel, etc., Try filling a cooled, steamed, semi-softened butternut or spaghetti squash boat with your egg salad or simply place egg salad into the hard-boiled egg white. Yum!!!! Also, here is a mock egg salad recipe for those allergic or who simply do not care for eggs. ENJOY!!!!!

MOCK EGG SALAD

(3) 19 oz Cans chick peas, drained
1 c Mayonnaise, Salad Dressing, Garlic Aioli or allowed substitute
1 c Chopped celery
1/2 tsp fresh chopped Basil
1/2 tsp Curry powder (optional)
1/2 tsp Garlic salt (optional)

Coarsely mash chick peas. Combine with dressing and other ingredients. Mix until well blended until texture is like real egg salad.

This provides the egg salad taste and protein with almost no fat (mostly found in the egg yolks). Serve it stuffed in a tomato on a lettuce leaf, or open-faced on white or whole wheat toast, garnish with cucumber slices or almond slices.