Green Eggs and Ham, All Grown Up: Avocado Deviled Eggs with Sweet and Spicy Bacon

Posted June 4, 2020 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments

When we think of classic books, we don’t often imagine cute picture books, but you can’t deny that Dr. Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham” is a classic. Combine that with the fact that it is literally about nothing but food, and you’ve got a book I can’t resist. 😉 I’ve had my heart set on making a sophisticated version of the titular dish from “Green Eggs and Ham” for years now. I wanted to make a highfalutin version because Pinterest is already teeming with simple, Seuss-inspired green-dyed egg and ham dishes. Nothing wrong with that; there’s just so many I figured one more would just be a drop in the ocean. Plus, almost all those recipes are aimed at kids, and I wanted to make something for us adults who grew up with Seuss and feel nostalgic about it.

However, I wouldn’t be too sure that the kids in your life would hate this. I thought my toddler wouldn’t touch it (he hates avocado), but he scarfed down four before I could stop him! Apparently his love of deviled eggs cannot be dampened even by avo, though he did eventually start handing me the bacon pieces off the top (too spicy for him). If you ARE making this for kids, I recommend making plain bacon unless you’re sure they like spicy food.

The recipe used here is a combo of the Calicfer’s Candied Bacon from my Studio Ghibli menu and the avocado deviled eggs from my upcoming cookbook, A Literary Holiday Party. Initially I wasn’t sure if the flavors would work together, but I needn’t have worried. You get such a satisfying combination of flavors and textures that play off each other beautifully, like sweet/salty, spicy/creamy, and soft/satisfyingly chewy. I think the key is the cinnamon, which bridges the gap between sweet and savory, bringing everything together into a cohesive whole where flavors seamlessly mingle but don’t compete.

Pro Tip: Make a full pound of the sweet and spicy bacon and chop it up to mix with vegetable curry. You will not be sorry.

A

Green Eggs and Ham, All Grown Up: An AWR Original Recipe

“I do so like green eggs and ham! Thank you! Thank you! Sam-I-Am!“

— Green Eggs and Ham

INGREDIENTS:

For the Bacon
- 3 slices bacon
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- a pinch of cayenne pepper
- 3/4 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp packed brown sugar
For the Deviled Eggs
- 6 eggs
- 1 medium avocado
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper

Makes 12 avocado deviled eggs with sweet and spicy bacon

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. To make the bacon, preheat your oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and place a baking rack on top (this will save you LOTS of messy cleanup later). Place bacon strips 2 inches apart on the rack.
2. Dust one side of the bacon with cinnamon and rub it in. Add a very light sprinkling of cayenne and rub that in as well. Drizzle on a light coating of honey and—you guessed it—rub it in. Flip the bacon over and repeat with the other side. Liberally sprinkle brown sugar on both sides of the bacon, rubbing it in before flipping.
3. Place the bacon in the oven and allow it to cook for 8 minutes. Flip the strips of bacon over and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the strips are cooked through and beginning to darken at the edges (but not burn). The grease and sugar drippings in the bottom of the pan may begin to burn, but that’s ok.
4. Cut the bacon into 2-inch pieces and set aside.
5. To make the deviled eggs, place the eggs in the bottom of a large saucepan. Fill with cold water until the eggs are under approximately 2 inches of water. Place on high heat. When the water comes to a boil, remove from heat and cover for 7 minutes. Drain and allow the eggs to cool.
6. Gently peel the shell from each egg. Cut each egg in half lengthwise and set the yolk halves aside in a bowl. Set the white halves on a serving plate. Add the yolks to a medium bowl with all the remaining ingredients and mash until well combined. Make sure the yolks are mashed into small bits (this will prevent blockages during piping).
7. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (such as a Wilton 1M tip). Pipe filling into each egg half. Top each one with a piece of bacon.
8. Serve to Sam-I-Am!