While I know that this smokey, meaty take on Deviled Eggs is actually nothing at all like my “Regular Deviled Eggs”, I feel like they are not that far off from it. I’m sure my family would tell me otherwise. 🙂 The combination of smoked paprika and chipotle powder give these bites some depth while the ham and cheddar just scream comfort food to me.
One of the great things about “curry” is that you can choose which level of spiciness you want depending on the preferences of your guests. (Sidebar: What is “curry” is a much deeper rabbit hole that I highly encourage you to Google if you happen to be a food nerd like me.) For the cheese component on this version, I went with Manchego because it can stand up to the curry and still add some nuttiness and depth.
What You Need to Make Ham, Chipotle, and Cheddar Deviled Eggs
Equipment
- Grater – For grating the cheese
- Food Processor – I use a food processor because I’m usually making a fairly large quantity and so it is faster than mashing and mixing by hand. However, you could certainly use a potato masher or even a fork instead; it just takes a bit more work to get the yolk mixture smooth.
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Cutting Board – For dicing the Ham
- Kitchen Knife – For dicing the Ham
- Small Sauté Pan – For sauteing the Ham
- Rubber Scraper
- Plastic Zip Top Bag – You could also use a Pastry Bag with Wide Tip. I choose the plastic zip top bag for easy clean up.
- Scissors – For cutting off the tip of the zip top bag
Ingredients
- Ham
- Butter
- Eggs – I always use jumbo eggs.
- Mayonnaise – I suggest real mayonnaise, but you can use whatever suits you best.
- Dijon Mustard – You can use other types of mustard, but that will of course slightly alter the taste.
- Smoked Paprika – I like smoked paprika for this particular recipe, but sweet will work just fine if that is what you have.
- Chipotle Powder – I like the surprise kick that comes along with chipotle powder, but you can certainly use less if you or your guests prefer less spice.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese – You can either use pre-shredded or grate your own. If using pre-shredded, it’s worth noting that the anti-caking mix that is often used adds about 1 gram of carbs per quarter cup of cheese. I usually find this in a large block at Sam’s and just grate what I need.
- Kosher Salt – I just taste test the filling and adjust as needed.
- Ground Black Pepper – As with the salt, I taste the filling and add pepper as desired.
Getting Started with Making Ham, Chipotle, and Cheddar Deviled Eggs
Start with hard boiled eggs. I highly recommend my relatively new go-to method of hard boiling eggs in the Instant Pot. Easiest peeling ever.
Before you start blending things, finely dice your ham into tiny cubes.
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a small sauté pan and sauté the ham cubes until they start to get just a little crispy on the edges. Think Canadian bacon if it was in small pieces. Remove from the heat and set aside.
As with most deviled egg recipes, peel the eggs, slice them in half, and remove the egg yolks.
Once that is done, make the “Regular Deviled Egg” base by adding mayo and Dijon mustard to the egg yolks. For a smoother filling and faster blend, I suggest using a food processor for this step. However, if you don’t have one or just don’t feel like it, you can also use a potato masher or fork and do it by hand.
Scrape down the sides. Then add the paprika and chipotle powder and blend for another 30 – 60 seconds. Scrape down the sides again. Add in the shredded cheddar and blend for another 30 seconds or until everything is fully integrated. Taste it. Add salt and pepper to taste. Blend again.
Transfer the filling mixture to a large mixing bowl and fold in the ham cubes until they are evenly distributed.
Spoon the filling to a zip top bag (or pastry bag) to pipe it into the egg white halves. For some fanciness, try using a large fluted pastry tip. If you are not used to using a decorating tip, it may be worthwhile to make a few practice squeezes so you can get the feel for how much pressure to apply. Most frequently, I just snip off the tip of the bag after I load it up with the filling. If you are using a pastry tip, cut off the tip of the bag and insert the tip before filling it. I usually cut off about a half an inch of the corner tip.
Set up your halved egg whites in whatever container you either plan to store or serve them in.
Squeeze the filling over into the corner, twisting the top of the bag like you would a pastry bag. Pipe the filling into the egg white halves.
Chill until you’re ready to serve.
Related Recipes
Looking for some other variations on deviled eggs, you might want to try one of these:
Need some other menu ideas to go along with these Italian Deviled Eggs? Check out my Welcome Spring Dinner Party page for some recipe suggestions.
Ham, Chipotle, and Cheddar Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
- 0.5 pound Thick-sliced Ham Diced, sauteed, and divided. (Divided: Reserve ~ 2 tablespoons of the diced and sauteed ham cubes to sprinkle on top of the finished eggs.
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 28 hard boiled eggs Makes 56 deviled eggs
- 1.5 cups Mayonnaise
- ½ cup Dijon Mustard
- Kosher Salt to taste
- Ground Black Pepper to taste
- 2.5 tablespoons Smoked Paprika
- 1.5 teaspoons Chipotle Powder
- 2 cups Cheddar Cheese Shredded
Instructions
- Dice 0.5 pound Thick-sliced Ham into small cubes.0.5 pound Thick-sliced Ham
- Heat 2 tablespoons Butter over medium high heat. Sauté the ham cubes until the edges just begin to get crisp. Set aside about 2 tablespoons of the tiny ham cubes to use as a topping / garnish at the end.2 tablespoons Butter, 0.5 pound Thick-sliced Ham
- Start with 28 hard boiled eggs. See my recommended easy method using the Instant Pot.28 hard boiled eggs
- Cut the eggs in half. Remove the yolks and place them in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a food processor. Set the whites on either the platter you will be using for serving or a container you’ll be using for storage. If using a food processor, pulse them a few times until crumbly. Otherwise, you can use a potato masher to smoosh the yolks.
- Add 1.5 cups Mayonnaise 1.5 cups Mayonnaise and ½ cup Dijon Mustard and continue mixing until smooth.1.5 cups Mayonnaise, ½ cup Dijon Mustard
- Add 2.5 tablespoons Smoked Paprika and 1.5 teaspoons Chipotle Powder. Continue mixing / blending 30 – 60 seconds more. Add the 2 cups Cheddar Cheese. Blend for about another 30 seconds or until fully incorporated. Check the taste and add Kosher Salt and / or Ground Black Pepper as desired. Blend one more time after any addition of salt and / or pepper.Kosher Salt, 2.5 tablespoons Smoked Paprika, 1.5 teaspoons Chipotle Powder, 2 cups Cheddar Cheese, Ground Black Pepper
- Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and fold in the fired ham cubes until they are evening distributed.
- Spoon the mixture into a plastic zip top bag or pastry bag with a wide tip. If using a plastic zip top bag, once the filling is in, cut off one of the bottom corners and use that for piping the filling into the egg whites.
- Top with the reserved tiny ham cubes.0.5 pound Thick-sliced Ham
- Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve. I use 9×13 Pyrex dishes with lids so that I can easily stack and store them in the fridge.
Equipment
- Cutting Board For dicing the Ham
- Chef's Knife For dicing the Ham
- Small Sauté Pan For sauteing the Ham
- Food Processor (optional) You can use a potato masher instead; it just takes a bit more work to get the yolk mixture smooth.
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Grater For grating the cheese if not buying pre-shredded
- Plastic Zip Top Bag Or Pastry Bag with Wide Tip
Notes
- Chipotle Powder
- You can adjust the amount of chipotle powder to suit the tastes of you and your guests. For me, the amount as listed has a little kick on the finish but is not truly spicy.
- Pastry Tips
- If you want a little extra flair, you can use a decorative tip. However, just be mindful that since you have chunks of roasted red pepper in the mixture, a small tip is not a good choice because it will get clogged.
- You can use the 3 piece pastry tips with your plastic zip top bag too. Just don’t cut off so much of the bag corner that the tip falls through and don’t forget to remove your tip before you throw the bag away.
- Storage
- These are a great candidate for making in advance and storing in the fridge. Just remember to use a container with a lid so you don’t have to worry about them getting smooshed when you’re planning out your fridge space.
