Fork in the Road Test

I’ll be honest — as much as I love holiday traditions and as much as I love the great meals that come with them, my absolute favorite part about the holidays is the leftovers. Easter is no exception.

I love coloring the eggs. But what I love even more is Easter Monday, when I’m making egg salad with those leftover hard boiled eggs. It’s a become ritual now, really.

Here’s the thing: if you’re scared of cooking, egg salad is as easy as it gets. There’s literally no excuse for not being able to make it — whether you’re using leftover Easter eggs or just hard-boiled eggs during the week. I’m not trying to put the deli guy out of business, but honestly, there’s no need to pay extra for this unless you’re genuinely in a rush.

The Deli Guy’s Secret

Years ago, I ran a medical association in New York City for which we held monthly evening board meetings. Every single month we’d take orders for sandwiches, and every single month, I’d watch the same thing happen: real estate scions, sophisticated Park Avenue ladies, world-renowned doctors — they’d all gravitate toward the egg salad sandwiches.

I was genuinely surprised. Eggs were pretty maligned back then, and egg salad sandwiches weren’t something you usually heard people raving about. But month after month, the egg salad sandwiches were the stars. So I told my office manager to do me a favor: go downstairs, find that deli guy, and ask if he’d share his secret recipe.

The deli guy said there was no secret. None whatsoever. The magic ingredient? French’s yellow mustard. Pure and simple.

Mayonnaise, French’s yellow mustard, salt, pepper, and eggs. Five ingredients and crave-worthy.

I decided to test it myself. I went home, boiled some eggs, and made my own egg salad sandwich — making sure to use French’s. And, voila, it was every bit as good as the deli version. Maybe better.

How to Make It

Whenever you can and especially with simple recipes, always start with good ingredients. Pick the best you can possibly afford. In this case, Hellmann’s mayo has a specific tanginess that I love, and French’s yellow mustard is the MVP tastemaker here.

I don’t have a specific recipe, just a ballpark approach. This year I had seven hard boiled Easter eggs, so after I chopped them up I added two tablespoons of mayo. Then I add a squirt of French’s yellow mustard, one quick grind of black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Mix it all together.

Here’s my best advice: start easy, especially with the salt. Both the mayo and the mustard already have salt in them. We use waaaaaaaaay too much salt in the American diet, so I’d rather start with less and taste as I go. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out.

Add whatever your tastebuds tell you is still missing. A bit more mayo, a bit more mustard. Go slow, layer up, recognizing the mustard is the accent that gives it “zing”.

Once you’ve nailed this basic version, that’s when the fun starts. Maybe you prefer Dijon mustard — try it. (I’ve gone fancy with Dijon mustard before, but honestly, I find the plain yellow French’s is punchier.) When my chives start coming up in the garden, I’ll throw some of those in. The bread choice makes a difference too — plain white toast is fine, but a good whole grain or something that suits your taste can elevate the whole thing.

Are you a tomato person? Layer them on, especially once fresh ones become available. Lettuce, arugula, spinach…dress it up if you like or skip the bread and add a scoop to your lunch salad. I usually dress down, I’m not a veggies-on-my-sandwich kind of person, but that’s just me. You do you.

The point is master the classic first. Learn what it’s supposed to taste like. Then experiment based on your palate and what grows in your garden or what’s available to you. That’s how you make a recipe truly yours.

A Bonus Tip

You don’t have to wait for Easter to make egg salad. Sometimes during the week while making breakfast, I’ll make soft boiled eggs for myself and throw two to four extra eggs into the pot. Once the soft boiled eggs come out, I leave those extra eggs sitting in the hot water for ten to twelve minutes, lid on. Cool them down, stick them in the fridge, and now you’ve got hard boiled eggs ready for egg salad — or a snack — anytime.

You’ve now got a no-fuss lunch or sandwich option waiting for you. That’s the whole point, really: making your life easier in the kitchen, one simple recipe at a time.