Egg salad is great, but let’s be honest, it’s kind of a pain. So I have created one of the easiest ways to make a fully flavored egg salad. Peeling eggs is time consuming, frustrating and messy. I have tried all kinds of tricks for making hard boiled eggs that peel easily and I’ve found my favorite, but there are always some shells that don’t come away and some eggs that break apart. With egg salad, that’s not as much on issue but it is a pain. I am also not a big believer in those viral “hacks” – so many of them are just weird. But this baked egg trick is a winner. I thought it looked dumb, but a friend told me this is how she makes egg salad all the time, and I trust her. And truly, it could not be easier. Using Boursin cheese as the binder adds fresh, herbaceous flavor with a hint of garlic without the chopping and mincing. A little mayo and cream loosens it up nicely.
This egg salad is on the thicker side, which makes it great for sandwiches. I like classic garlic and herb Boursin, but they do some other fun flavors, like shallot and chive and lemon basil. Choose your favorite. Mustard adds some tang and I like the softer bite of Dijon, but yellow mustard or even a grainy version work as well. Chives boost that herbaceous note, but you could easily use parsley or basil.
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Ingredients
8 large eggs
1 (5.2-ounce) package Boursin cheese
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 Tablespoon snipped fresh chives
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Choose a loaf pan and a larger pan it will fit in to make a water bath (like a 9 by 13). Spray the loaf pan with olive oil or cooking spray.
- Crack the eggs carefully into the loaf pan. Try to keep the yolks intact but it is okay if they break. Put the loaf pan in the larger pan and fill the larger pan with hot water from the tap up to the level of the eggs. Do not splash any water into the eggs. Transfer carefully to the oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until the eggs no longer jiggle. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cutting board and chop into pieces – about 1-inch at this point.
- Put the Boursin, mayo, mustard and cream in a mixing bowl and use a hand mixer (you could do this in a stand mixer) and beat until smooth and well combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Season well with salt and generous grinds of pepper. Add the chopped eggs and the chives and fold together with a spatula, distributing everything evenly. Use the spatula to further break down the egg pieces so the salad is easily spoonable and spreadable. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but overnight is fine.
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