This Is the Secret to the Best-Ever Egg Salad Sandwich

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This is the egg salad trick we probably wouldn't ever have thought of on our own—but absolutely cannot wait to try

If you’re an egg salad lover, we’ve got a tip for you for making the absolute creamiest of creamy egg salad sandwiches. Actually, Top Chef Carla Hall of Top Chef and The Chew fame has a tip for you that she got from her friend, James Beard Award winner Nancy Silverton. And you know what we do when chefs start spilling cooking secrets? We listen up! So let’s refresh our favorite vintage egg recipe and see how much better it can get.

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What is the secret to the perfect egg salad sandwich?

Drumroll, please. For the ultimate egg salad creaminess, instead of reaching for the knife to slice and dice, you’re going to want to do two things a little differently. First, separate the yolks from the whites. Then, tear the whites, crumble the yolks and combine with mayonnaise and other ingredients.

Carla didn’t say exactly why this works, but the way we see it, there are two things happening here: One is that when the yolks are separated from the egg whites, they will mix more fully with the mayo, producing more of that deviled-egg-filling effect. And the second element at play is that the soft edges created when tearing and crumbling the eggs create a creamy mouthfeel that takes things up another notch, especially when added between high-quality slices of bread. But in the end, the why is not nearly as important as the yummm. And it’s a super easy step to sneak into your recipe. What’s good enough for Carla is good enough for us!

Our favorite egg salad recipes

Ready to give this egg salad sandwich trick a spin? Here are some of our favorite egg salad recipes—both classic and souped-up—that you’ll have a delicious time experimenting with:

Smoked Salmon Egg Salad: If you love a good smoked-salmon-and-cream-cheese bagel, you’re definitely going to want to try this recipe, which mixes lox with creamy eggs and tucks it all into a flaky croissant.
Red Potato and Egg Salad: Potato salad and egg salad, unite! Why have just one when you could have both in one bite?
Curried Egg Salad: To create an egg salad that has a bit more of an earthy taste, try mixing in curry powder. Spread it on your favorite toast, and top with bright heirloom tomatoes.

And don’t forget to try our other favorite egg hacks, like microwaving poached eggs and hard-boiling eggs in the oven. Get cracking!

Courtesy Taste of Home

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Originally Published on Taste of Home

Mackenzie Schieck

I have been working in digital as a writer since 2004, including seven years as an editor at Allrecipes.com. There, I took an active role in shaping the voice of the site as the company established a more deliberate strategy around communicating the brand. I was the first dedicated writer for both marketing and UI/UX copy, the go-to editor for a number of special projects, and also contributed a large collection of editorial features about meal planning and entertaining. During my last two years at Allrecipes, I was the editorial lead on social media marketing, developing a process and strategy that resulted in increased social referrals and engagement. As a freelancer since June 2013, I have done a variety of work for clients in both digital and print. Projects include food and lifestyle content (writing, photography, recipe development, and video) for Apartment Therapy, Allrecipes, and FeedFeed, and marketing copy for Rover.com, Martha Stewart Living, Trident Seafood, Brooks, and more. I have also worked on a number of accounts through ad agency, POSSIBLE, that include Microsoft Office, BECU, and AT&T. Alongside my freelance work, in March 2014, I created a food and lifestyle blog called, Pine and Crave, for which I do all the writing, recipe creation, cooking, and photography. Content from my blog has been featured on HuffPost Living, Brit+Co, HelloGiggles, and SeattleMag.com. My range of experience allows me to easily adapt my writing style to the project type, adjust my voice to communicate a brand, as well as reach a specific audience—and all while remaining authentic, trustworthy, and accurate. My versatility, as well as the ease with which I project manage and work cross-departmentally with product owners, marketing specialists, and designers makes me a valuable contributor on any creative project.