Repurposing Easter eggs into tasty recipes

For many families, Easter activities include dying hard-boiled eggs in bright colors for children to search for. My family always had a tendency to have two different levels of hunts – an easier one for the tots and a harder one (sometimes brutally difficult) for the older kids. Since numerous hunts were desired, our eggs always got a heavy workout. But, at the end of the day, a big basket full of well-used Easter eggs sat with no additional recreational purpose.

Repurposing Easter eggs is something many people try to do, in order to capture additional value. The first task, however, is to sort out the eggs and determine which are still intact enough to use in an edible way. Eggs that have suffered significant cracks aren't a good choice to repurpose for human consumption due to bacteria that could have gotten past the shell to the flesh of the egg.

Once eggs have been sorted for suitability, there are a few ways to utilize the good ones for the high protein source that they inherently are. For those less inclined to put much time into preparing something new out of them, an egg can be included in a brown bag lunch quite easily for a snack during the day.

Willing to put forth some effort? Try using your Easter eggs in these recipes:

Deviled Egg Spread

Ingredients

• 6 large hard-boiled eggs
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives
• 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
• Paprika (with shaker top)

Slices of preferred sandwich bread

Instructions

Peel the hardboiled eggs. Slice eggs in half, lengthwise. Chop half of the egg whites and put aside. Place the remaining whites and all of the egg yolks into a blender or food processor with the mayonnaise and mustard and blend until smooth. Stir in the chives and relish. Add in chopped egg whites. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Place the now-ready spread in the refrigerator. It can be prepared the night before it is to be served.

Shortly before serving, quarter the bread slices diagonally and place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet to prepare toast points. Toast in oven for 5 to 7 minutes (turning once) until lightly browned.

To serve, place Deviled Egg Spread in a bowl and sprinkle paprika on top; place bowl on a platter. Arrange toast points around bowl. Serves 6.

Ham and Egg Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 - 2 lb. bag frozen hash brown potatoes
• 2 tablespoons diced onion
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

• 1 lb. ham cut in small cubes
• 8 hardboiled eggs (peeled and sliced)
• 2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup sour cream

Begin by frying hash browns, onions, parsley and mushrooms in a small amount of butter in a skillet until lightly browned. Meanwhile, spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with non-stick spray.

Place hash brown mixture in baking dish. Add salt and pepper to taste. Next, add layers of ham cubes, hardboiled egg slices, and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese.

In a saucepan, place the butter, milk, flour, and salt and cook until it becomes a thick sauce. Stir in sour cream. Pour the sauce evenly over the items in the casserole dish.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes until bubbly throughout. After removing from oven, sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over top of casserole. Serves 6 to 8.