3 different takes on egg salad

I love traditional egg salad because it’s such a simple meal. Chop up some hard-boiled eggs, toss in mayonnaise, salt and pepper and just like that, it’s ready.

But, I’m all for pumping up the flavor of it, too, so I like these variations from QVC host Jill Bauer, who TV viewers know from the popular “You’re Home With Jill.”

Turn up the heat with Sriracha. Or, make it a little sweeter by introducing chopped gherkin pickles. Spend a little more time on it and incorporate the flavors of a Cobb Salad.

Tuck the version you use into sandwiches or, if you’re low-carbing it, wrap it in lettuce leaves or just spoon it over salad greens. (It works great served in avocado halves, too.) Add some slice veggies and cut-up fruit to serve alongside it and you’ve got a quick, end-of-summer meal.

EGG SALAD 3 WAYS

MAKES 4-6 SERVINGS

Basic ingredients:

Salt and pepper, to taste

Bread slices or rolls, (optional, for serving)

Lettuce, tomato slices (optional, for serving)

Sriracha Style:

¾ cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

¼ cup Sriracha sauce

8 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

4 basil leaves, rolled and sliced into small strips

½ cup celery, finely diced

¼ cup celery leaves, finely sliced

¼ cup roasted red peppers, chopped

Sweet Gherkin Style:

⅔ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons gherkin pickle juice from jar

8 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

8 gherkin pickles, finely diced

½ cup chopped celery

¼ cup finely diced sweet Vidalia onion

Cobb Style:

4 slices of bacon or turkey bacon

¾ cup of fat-free Greek Yogurt

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons powdered ranch seasoning mix

12 hard-cooked eggs, yolks removed and whites cubed

1 ripe avocado, peeled, cubed and sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent discoloration

1 tomato, halved, seeds and juice squeezed out, and finely diced

⅛ head of iceberg lettuce, sliced into thin strips

½ red onion, finely diced

1 ounce crumbled blue cheese (optional)

Preparation:

To prepare the Sriracha Style, combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and Sriracha sauce. Taste the sauce to judge the “heat.” If you would prefer it hotter, add more Sriracha. Combine the eggs, basil leaves, celery, celery leaves and roasted red peppers in a medium-size bowl. Gently fold in the mayonnaise mixture. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

To prepare the Sweet Gherkin Style, combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and pickle juice in a medium-size bowl. Combine the eggs, pickles, celery and onion in medium-size bowl. Gently fold in the mayonnaise mixture. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

To prepare the Cobb Style, cook the bacon until crisp in a large skillet. Drain on a paper-towel lined plate and crumble. Combine the yogurt, lemon juice and ranch seasoning mix in a medium-size bowl. Combine the eggs, avocado, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce and onion in a separate bowl. Gently fold in the yogurt mixture. Garnish with the blue cheese, if desired, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

From Jill Bauer, QVC