One of my best friends, Rachel, is a huge fan of St. Patrick’s Day and goes all out for the holiday. This year, she has decided to host a brunch featuring themed cocktails and festive dishes. I’ve made Guinness cupcakes for the occasion in the past, but this year I wanted to try something new. After racking my brain trying to come up with something fun to bring, I decided on deviled eggs with a twist. I mean, who doesn’t love a deviled egg?!

This recipe has a special ingredient that makes it perfect for St. Paddy’s…pesto! Not only are they delicious, they’re green too! I made these for an Oscars party we attended a couple weeks ago and they were a hit. Whether you’re hosting a St. Patrick’s Day celebration or have an upcoming dinner party, these little devils are sure to please! Below is my wend inspired recipe for pesto deviled eggs.

 

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• 1 dozen eggs
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• ½ cup course brown mustard
• ½ cup fresh pesto – if you aren’t up to making your own pesto, a jar of store bought works just fine!
• 1 pack of prosciutto
• 1 piping bag or sandwich baggie

For the Pesto

• 2 bunches of basil
• 5 cloves of garlic – I’m a garlic nut, so feel free to adjust to your liking!
• ¼ cup pine nuts – I usually skip this step and don’t notice a difference!
• ¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

For the Prosciutto

• Set the oven to 375°
• Lay the prosciutto on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
• Bake 8-15 minutes until brown and crispy
• Once cooled, break up the prosciutto into pieces to use for garnish

For the Pesto

• Combine all dry ingredients in a food processor or blender and grate
• Gradually drizzle in the olive oil with the blender on until paste forms – for this recipe, it’s better if the pesto is a bit more runny to help balance the thickness of the yogurt
• Adjust the ingredients until desired taste and consistency is achieved – I usually end up having to add more salt and greens. If you run out of basil and need more greens just add a bit of spinach!

For the Eggs & Filling

• Place the eggs in a sauce pan with water and bring to a boil – adding the eggs to hot or boiling water can cause them to crack
• Boil the eggs 15 minutes or until fully cooked – I like to leave them on a few extra minutes to make sure the yolks are completely cooked
• Run the boiled eggs under cold water until cooled
• Peel the eggs, halve them lengthwise, set the halves on your serving tray and place yolks in separate bowl
• Using a fork, mash the yolks until all lumps are removed
• Add the yogurt, mustard, pesto, salt and pepper to the yolks and stir until mixed
• Place the filling in a piping bag or sandwich baggie and snip the end of one corner
• Carefully fill each egg half with the pesto mixture
• Once all eggs are filled, garnish with a prosciutto crisp and serve!

Time Saving Tip: Boil the eggs and bake off the prosciutto the night before you plan on serving the eggs!

The nice thing about this recipe is that the measurements for the filling don’t have to be exact. Just make small adjustments until you reach the desired flavor. If you prefer a more mustardy filling, go for it! If you want a really strong pesto flavor, add more! As long as the consistency of your mixture if firm enough to hols up in the eggs, you really can’t go wrong!

I hope you enjoy this recipe! It can be a bit time consuming, but your guests will thank you for the effort in the end. Happy St. Patrick’s Day, happy hosting and as always, happy wending!

 

Do you have fun St. Patrick’s Day traditions? What are some other festive recipes you’ve tried? Share your comments below!

 

PIN IT!