As seen on our $50 weekly menu plans, one of our favorite frugal lunch items is egg salad. There are countless variations, so even though it may appear on our menu each week for lunch, it is rarely the same. In fact, we have over 300 different flavor combinations!
Most weeks I hard-boil a dozen eggs (or two!) and leave them in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for healthy snacks, salads, and to make fast, dirt cheap egg salad. Rather than prepare large quantities of egg salad in advance, we prefer to prepare it as needed, using the hard-boiled eggs mentioned earlier.
The following is the approximate amount for two sandwiches. I do not always precisely measure ingredients in egg salad. If you prefer your egg salad more creamy, you can add more mayonnaise or a bit of sour cream to the basic egg salad recipe.
Basic Egg Salad Sandwich Recipe
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2-3 tablespoons of Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of diced onion (green onion, Vidalia, red onion, etc)
dash of seasoning
Chop, dice, or mash the eggs to meet the texture that you prefer, add the mayonnaise, diced onion of your choice, and a dash of salt and pepper. Stir lightly to combine all the ingredients.
Egg Salad Variations:
The following egg salad flavor variations all require the same method to prepare. Chop, dice, or mash the eggs according to your preference of texture, then add the remaining ingredients as described in the recipe variation. Stir lightly to combine all the ingredients.
Bacon & Egg Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2-3 Tbs Mayonnaise
1 Tbs of diced Vidalia onion
1 Tbs Finely Chopped Cooked Bacon
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
Carrot Egg Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2-3 Tbs of Mayonnaise
1 Tbs of Finely Chopped Carrot
1 Tbs Sunflower Seeds
dash of Salt and pepper
Cheesy Egg Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2-3 Tbs Mayonnaise
1 Tbs of diced onion
1 Tbs Shredded Cheese, any flavor- (Swiss is great, it really stands out!)
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
Creamy Egg Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2-3 Tbs of Mayonnaise
1 Tbs of diced onion
1 Tbs Sour Cream
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
Cucumber Egg Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2 Tbs Mayonnaise
2 Tbs. Cucumber, finely chopped
1 Tbs Ranch Dressing
1 Tbs Red Bell pepper, finely diced
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
Curried Egg Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2-3 Tbs of Mayonnaise
1 Tbs of diced onion
1/4 tsp curry powder (red or yellow, as desired)
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
Deviled Egg Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2-3 Tbs of Mayonnaise
1 Tbs of diced onion
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp minced garlic
a dash of paprika
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
Dijon Egg Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2-3 Tbs of Mayonnaise
1 Tbs of diced onion
1 Tbs Dijon Mustard
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
Dilled Egg Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2-3 Tbs of Mayonnaise
1/2 dill pickle, finely chopped OR 1 T. Chopped Fresh Dill (herb)
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
Ham & Egg Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2-3 Tbs Mayonnaise
1 Tbs of diced Vidalia onion
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbs Finely Chopped Ham chunks
Honey Dijon Egg Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2-3 Tbs Mayonnaise
1 Tbs of diced Vidalia onion
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbs Honey Dijon Mustard
Hummus Egg Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2-3 Tbs Hummus
1 Tbs of diced Vidalia onion
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
Kicked Up Egg Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2-3 Tbs Mayonnaise
1 Tbs of diced Vidalia onion
1 Tbs Finely Chopped Cooked Bacon
1 tsp Cream Horseradish
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
Olive Egg Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2-3 Tbs Mayonnaise
2 Tbs Green Olives, finely chopped
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
Pesto Egg Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2-3 Tbs Mayonnaise
2 tsp Pesto Sauce
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
Southerners Egg Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2-3 Tbs Mayonnaise
1 Tbs of diced Vidalia onion
1 Tbs Pickled Jalapeno Pepper, coarsely chopped
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
Sundried Tomato Egg Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2-3 Tbs Mayonnaise
1 Tbs of diced Vidalia onion
2 Tbs. sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
Tropical Egg Salad
3 hard-boiled Eggs
2-3 Tbs Mayonnaise
1 Tbs of diced Vidalia onion
1 Tbs Crushed Pineapple
1 Tbs Finely diced Papaya or mango
1/8 tsp curry powder
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
Sandwich Variations
What you serve the egg salad sandwich filling on (or in) is just as important as what’s in it! While egg salad filling is great on plain old white or wheat bread, here are some other ideas that are tasty and can break up the monotony as well.
- Avocado Half
- Bagels
- Baguette Slices
- Croissants
- Cucumber, Green Pepper, or Tomato that has been hollowed out
- Herb Wraps (Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomato, etc)
- Hot Dog Buns
- Kaiser Rolls
- Pita Bread
- Steamed Cabbage Leaves
- Toasted English Muffins
- Whole Wheat Pita
The bread options can be toasted or not. Stuffed veggies such as tomatoes and green peppers can be broiled with a bit of cheese sprinkled on top. Add leftover cooked protein, such as diced chicken, turkey, or ham. Pineapple and ham egg salad is fabulous on a flaky croissant!
Add Crunch!
To add a bit of crunch add slices of pickles, radishes, chopped celery, or even potato chips within the sandwich itself. Crispy baked carrot slices are wonderful for adding a bit of crunchy texture and offer a touch of sweetness as well.
Slice carrots into thin coins crosswise, toss with a drizzle of olive oil, then bake for 25 minutes at 375°F until crisp and lightly browned. Cool completely and add these delicious crunchy carrot morsels in layers on the sandwich, egg salad filling, carrots, repeat.
Keto-Friendly Egg Salad Variations
For keto-friendly options, use low carb tortillas, veggies that have been hollowed (cucumber, green peppers, tomatoes, or avocadoes), steamed cabbage leaves, romaine lettuce with tomato slices in an open-faced sandwich, etc. The possibilities are endless. Depending on your macro allowances and the type of keto that you follow (dirty, lazy, or clean), even the egg salad variations containing small bits of fruit should be okay.
With the 20+ homemade egg salad variations we shared above along with the 15 ideas for serving, you could potentially have 300 different ways to enjoy egg salad!
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