Delightful Deviled Eggs at their most basic!

I love appetizers! There have been times where I made an entire "meal" out of my favorite appetizers because I love them so much. And who says appetizers have to come before a meal? Why can't they be the meal? :)

In any event, one of my all time, favorite appetizers are deviled eggs. There are numerous variations on this treat, but I like them plain and simple: eggs, mustard, mayo, and maybe some paprika sprinkled on top. Nothing fancy, but boy are they tasty.



Ingredients (8 deviled eggs)
4 eggs, hard-boiled
2-3 tbsp mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip if that is your preference)*
2-3 tbsp mustard (amount of mustard is entirely dependent on your preferences)

Directions
Put 4 eggs in a pot 3/4 full of water on high heat until the water is at a rolling boil. Reduce to medium-high heat and set the timer for 9 minutes. After the timer buzzes, remove pot from heat, empty out the hot water, and pour cold water into your pot. Note: if you do not have particularly high quality cookware, you may want to start with lukewarm water so as not to damage the pot.
Once the eggs are cool enough to pick up with your bare hands, start peeling the eggs carefully! Remember that with deviled eggs, the outside of the egg will show and should like as nice as possible.
After all the eggs are peeled, cut the eggs in half. Carefully remove all of the egg yolks by pushing the back of the egg white until the yolk pops out; then place in a small bowl. Squish the egg yolks with a fork until most of the lumps are gone. Add the mayo and mustard to the squished egg yolks and stir until creamy.
Either pipe the egg yolks back into the eggs (using a cake decorating bag and tips) or spoon them back in. I usually spoon mine in, but sometimes it's fun to go fancy. When all of the eggs have their filling, sprinkle some paprika lightly across the tops of the eggs. Serve cold!

*I would like to point out that I used Miracle Whip in this batch, but there is a good reason behind that: I was cooking at someone else's house and they did not have mayonnaise. I am an avid advocate of real mayo and prefer its taste to all forms of Miracle Whip. That being said, if you grew up on Miracle Whip and that is your preference, by all means continue to use it!

Other ideas that could be added to this basic deviled eggs recipe:
Chives chopped and used as a garnish
1-2 tablespoons of chopped onion added to the yolk mixture
1-2 tablespoons of sweet pickle relish added to the yolk mixture

However you decide you like yours best, there is no denying that they are as simple, tasty treat!