Bacon Deviled Eggs

To me, a good deviled egg is one with a well-seasoned, firm filling—and lots of thick-cut bacon. There’s so much bacon goodness here that you won’t be able to pipe the filling into these eggs; the piping bag would immediately clog up! Instead, use a small teaspoon and carefully mound the filling inside each egg white half. Steaming the eggs in a steamer basket set over a saucepan of boiling water might seem unusual but it really works. Steamed eggs are much easier to peel and the method helps prevent overcooking (and that unappealing green ring around the yolk). A touch of Dijon mustard and pinch of cayenne pepper add a spicy note that works well in the oh-so-rich filling. And small banana pepper rings and/or thinly sliced pickled okra make a cute topper for the eggs and also add a welcome hit of acidity and heat that balances out all that savory, smoky bacon. Go ahead and make a second batch—they’re so easy to make and tend to disappear quickly. I promise your crowd will go wild for them.