Name: Creamy Egg Salad with Bacon, Shallots, and Watercress
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 4 slices bacon (about 4 ounces), cut ino 1/4-inch pieces; 2 large shallots, chopped medium; 6 large eggs; 1/4 cup mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves; 1/4 cup watercress, leaves chopped coarse; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted an egg salad recipe that would be creamy and flavorful, with perfectly cooked eggs and just the right amount of crunch. We diced the eggs in our egg salad recipe to keep the salad from turning pasty. Then we combined them with mayonnaise (our tasters dismissed ingredients such as cottage cheese, sour cream, and cream cheese as extraneous), lemon, mustard, red onion, celery, and parsley.

Instructions

In medium skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon with slotted spoon to plate lined with paper towel; pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from pan. Add shallots and sauté until softened and browned, about 5 minutes.

Place eggs in medium saucepan, cover with 1 inch of water, and bring to boil over high heat. Remove pan from heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with 1 quart water and 1 tray of ice cubes (or equivalent). Transfer eggs to ice water bath with slotted spoon; let sit 5 minutes, peel and dice medium.

Mix all ingredients, including bacon and shallots, together in medium bowl, including pepper to taste. Serve. (Can be covered and refrigerated overnight.)