Deviled Eggs Are The Secret To Jazzing Up Classic Potato Salad

Potato salad, the stalwart of summer picnics and backyard barbecues, has long been a dependable side dish. Its creamy, comforting nature makes it a crowd-pleaser, but let's be honest -- it can sometimes border on the mundane. Enter potato salad's common culinary companion, the deviled egg, an hors d'oeuvre that by its very nature features punchy flavor. What if we told you that by marrying the two, you could transform humble potato salad into a dish that is at once creamy, rich, and alluring?

Deviled eggs and potato salad are like long-lost siblings separated at the family reunion. Both usually boast mayonnaise and mustard -- often Dijon -- in their flavor arsenal, creating a natural affinity between the two. Hard-boiled eggs, a staple in a great many potato salad recipes, bridge the gap effortlessly. It's a reunion that makes you wonder why they were ever apart.

A couple of options are available when looking to integrate deviled eggs into your potato salad. One approach is to use them as a garnish. Make both potato salad and deviled eggs separately, then nestle halves of the latter atop the former for a pop of piquancy and visual appeal. Alternatively, go all in and incorporate the deviled egg's signature ingredients directly into the potato salad. The rich yolk and other components become part of the potato salad "dressing" with a more thorough flavor of deviled eggs in every bite.

Read more: Hacks That Will Make Boiling Your Eggs So Much Easier

Combining The Two Dishes Highlights Their Mutually Beneficial Flavors

The shared traits are what make this technique work so well. A flavorful Venn diagram of potato salad and deviled eggs isn't quite a circle, but it's close. It should then come as no surprise that ingredients that work for one generally jibe with the other. So, when thinking of making your potato salad, don't hesitate to add elements generally only seen in deviled eggs. A dash of hot sauce -- be that an American classic like Tabasco or something international like Cholula -- offers a subtle kick that balances the creaminess of the potatoes and mayonnaise.

Sour cream, on the other hand, doubles down on the creaminess, but with dairy notes not delivered by mayo. Smoked paprika has a smoldering sweetness and vibrant color that are both welcome in and atop the potato salad. And, speaking of chiles, cayenne offers pure pepper heat for those who want spice without tanginess; just use this judiciously. For a touch of crunchy zip, fold in some sweet pickle relish.

Finally, chopped fresh dill, parsley, tarragon, or other herbs add a bit of crispy brightness that cheers up the heavy, starchy notes that often dominate potato-based recipes. As you mix and mingle these deviled egg flavors into your potato salad, you're creating a side dish that transcends the mundane. The devil is in the details, and in this case, it's a delicious detail that will leave everyone clamoring for your secret recipe.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.