Is it your turn to host the annual family Easter celebration? Whether you’re planning for a large or small crowd, the North Carolina Egg Association has some new twists on traditional recipes and crafts that will make your planning easier so you can join in on the fun with all your guests.

And why not create some new memories this year? In addition to Classic Deviled Eggs, serve up some Pickled Deviled Eggs made colorful with beet juice. Try an Asparagus Tomato Quiche is a delicious way to add green veggies to your meal – and it can be made ahead of time.

These eggs-cellent ideas are sure to crack a smile with your brunch bunch!

Make these gorgeous purple deviled eggs ahead of time for easy holiday entertaining — perfect for Easter brunch!

Mix and match your toppings! The possibilities are endless — shrimp, chives, smoked salmon, crabmeat, capers, diced red bell pepper, Italian parsley, cucumber, fresh dill…

Pickled Deviled Eggs

• 12 hard-boiled eggs

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. pepper

• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill or chives

Marinade:

• 1 jar (16 oz) beets

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup white vinegar

Toppers: Crabmeat & fresh dill, small cooked shrimp & chives, smoked salmon, capers & chives, diced red bell peppers & Italian parsley, steamed asparagus tips (optional)

Cut eggs lengthwise in half. Remove yolks to medium bowl. Reserve 20 white halves. Finely chop remaining four white halves.

Mash yolks with fork. Add finely chopped whites, mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper; mix well. Add dill, mix well. Cover and refrigerate.

Drain beets, reserving juice (about ²/₃ cup). Set beets aside for another use. Combine beet juice, water and vinegar. Arrange egg whites cut side down in shallow container. Pour beet mixture over eggs. Cover tightly. Refrigerate at least several hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

Remove purple egg whites from beet mixture, pat dry with paper towels. Spoon 1 heaping Tbsp. yolk mixture into each reserved egg white half. Garnish with toppers, as desired.

• Deviled eggs can be made up to 12 hours ahead. Refrigerate, covered.

• Very fresh eggs can be difficult to peel. To ensure easily peeled eggs, buy and refrigerate them a week to 10 days in advance of cooking. This brief “breather” allows the eggs time to take in air, which helps separate the membranes from the shell.

• Hard-boiled eggs are easiest to peel right after cooling. Cooling causes the egg to contract slightly in the shell.

• To peel a hard-boiled egg: Gently tap egg on countertop until shell is finely crackled all over. Roll egg between hands to loosen shell. Start peeling at large end and hold egg under cold running water to help ease the shell off.

• No-mess method: Combine filling ingredients in 1-quart plastic food-storage bag. Press out air and seal bag. Press and roll bag with hand until mixture is well blended. Push filling toward bottom corner of bag. Snip off about 1/2-inch of corner. Squeeze filling from bag into egg whites.

• Picnic or tailgate tip: Prepare filling in plastic bag, as above. Carry whites and yolk mixture separately in cooler. Fill eggs on the spot, pressing filling out of snipped corner of bag.

Nutrition information per appetizer (without optional toppers): 61 calories; 4 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 1 g monounsaturated fat; 114 mg cholesterol; 121 mg sodium; 2 g carbohydrate; 0 g dietary fiber; 4 g protein; 187.9 IU Vitamin A; 25.0 IU Vitamin D; 0.6 IU Vitamin E; 14.7 mcg folate; 20.3 mg calcium; 0.5 mg iron; 89.1 mg choline.

This recipe is a good source of choline.

Asparagus
Tomato Quiche

• 1 baked piecrust (9-inch)

• 1 cup asparagus pieces (1-inch)

• 3/4 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (3 oz.)

• 1 cup cherry tomato slices

• 6 Eggs

• 1/2 cup milk

• ¹/₃ cup sour cream

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. white pepper

Heat oven to 375. Blanch asparagus in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain well. Sprinkle cheese evenly in bottom of pie shell. Top with asparagus and tomatoes in an even layer.

Beat eggs, milk, sour cream, salt and pepper in medium bowl until blended. Carefully pour over filling in pie shell.

Bake in center of oven until center is almost set but jiggles slightly when dish is gently shaken and knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into wedges.

• If using frozen pie shell, choose the deep-dish size. Always bake your pie shell first to avoid a soggy crust.

• No water bath needed. The piecrust protects the custard filling from direct oven heat, so a water bath is not necessary.

• How to tell if it’s done: Baked custards should be removed from the oven before the center is completely set. The center will jiggle slightly when dish is gently shaken. Custard will continue to cook after it’s removed and center will firm up quickly. Overbaked custard may curdle. The knife test: Test for doneness with a thin-bladed knife. Insert knife about 1 inch from the center of a one-dish custard; midway between center and edge. If knife is clean when pulled out, the custard is done. If any custard clings to the blade, bake a few minutes longer and test again. Cheese fillings: Quiche fillings containing cheese may continue to test wet even after they are done. Tap or gently shake the dish; remove quiche from oven when the center is almost set but still jiggles a bit.

• For richer custard, substitute half-and-half for the milk.

Nutrition information per serving (¹/₆ of recipe): 432 calories; 28 g total fat; 10 g saturated fat; 6 g polyunsaturated fat; 10 g monounsaturated fat; 234 mg cholesterol; 603 mg sodium; 28 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber; 15 g protein; 935.6 IU Vitamin A; 58.6 IU Vitamin D; 102.9 mcg folate; 183.0 mg calcium; 3.0 mg iron; 159.2 mg choline.

Tomato and Avocado Salad Recipe

• 6 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

• 2 avocados, chopped

• 1 cup chopped tomato

• 1/2 cup chopped red onion

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh

   parsley or cilantro

• Spinach or lettuce leaves

Dressing:

• 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

• 2 Tbsp. sour cream

• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce

Mix dressing ingredients in small bowl.

Reserve and refrigerate 6 center egg slices for garnish, if desired. Chop remaining eggs

Combine chopped eggs, avocados, tomato, onion and parsley in large bowl. Toss gently to mix. Add dressing, stirring gently just until ingredients are evenly coated with dressing.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors. Serve on spinach or lettuce leaves, garnish with reserved egg slices, if desired.

Calories: 218; total Fat: 17 g, saturated fat: 4 g; polyunsaturated fat: 3 g; monounsaturated fat: 9 g; cholesterol: 189 mg; sodium: 316 mg; carbohydrates: 10 g; dietary Fiber: 5 g; protein: 8 g; vitamin A: 867.9 IU; Vitamin D: 41.8 IU; folate: 89.6 mcg; calcium: 51 mg; iron: 1.5 mg; choline: 139.8 mg.

Easy 12-minute method for hard-boiled eggs: Place eggs in a saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add cold water to cover the eggs by 1 inch. Heat over high heat just to boiling. Remove from the burner. Cover pan. Let eggs stand in hot water for about 12 minutes for large eggs (9 minutes for medium eggs; 15 minutes for extra large eggs). Drain. Shock the eggs in a bowl of ice water to cool them immediately. Hard-boiled eggs are easiest to peel right after cooling.