The Key To Filling Deviled Eggs Effortlessly Is In Your Pantry Right Now

When it comes to party finger food, something about deviled eggs makes the festivities all the more fancy. Maybe it's the rich, savory flavor that feels nostalgic, the contrasting toppings that give each person's recipe a unique character, or maybe it's the classy way the filling is piped into the eggs. If you're working on that last one, it can be tricky if you don't have a pastry or piping bag on hand. Luckily, even if you don't have one, you're not out of luck; just use a plastic sandwich bag instead.

To make deviled eggs, you'll need mayonnaise (or sometimes sour cream for extra creaminess), salt, mustard, and, of course, eggs. Hard-boil your eggs, then cut them in half and gently scoop out the yolks. Mash the yolk with the other ingredients until you get a smooth, well-incorporated paste that's aerated and fluffy. Once you get all that to a light, whipped texture, grab a sealable sandwich bag and use it to pipe the yolk back into the halved eggs.

The reason this hack works so well is a combination of accessibility and easier cleanup. You could simply spoon the filling into the eggs, but that makes somewhat of a mess and usually results in a sloppy-looking result. Meanwhile, pastry bags with icing tips can give a ritzy appearance, but they are annoying to clean and not everyone has them in their pantry. Sandwich bags work well, are in most kitchens, and are disposable so your next cake won't subtly taste like mustard and egg. Not to mention, the ones that seal shut help keep spills from happening, meaning your kitchen stays clean.

This trick may sound difficult, but it's actually quite easy. First, simply cut a small hole in one corner of the bag. If you have a piping tip, you can fit that on like you would with an icing bag, but that's not necessary. Instead, you can simply pipe the egg directly through the hole. Use a larger hole if your filling has add-ins like potato chips to make crunchy deviled eggs so it still comes out easily.

If you want a specific pattern, you can also do that. Rather than cutting across, make slits toward the center from the corner. That way, when the yolk comes out, it will create a star shape like that created by a metal piping tip. If your yolk is smooth, you can make the hole smaller and create a swirly pattern. Cutting a thin strip down one side of the corner will allow you to make a ribbon pattern, similar to piping icing. Try getting creative with your cuts to find new and interesting shapes.

Once you pipe your filling, you can bump up the fanciness even higher by adding toppings. A sprinkle of fresh dill gives a mild, herby bite and a pop of color, cut chives add an acid that offsets the rich yolks well, and a sprinkle of paprika lends a smoky heat that looks traditional and classy. You can even put edible glitter on deviled eggs for a modern twist. You may not have all the fancy tools some cooks do, but that doesn't mean you can't make your deviled eggs look like the pros'.