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Stuffed Eggs with Ham & Cheese, sprinkled with a dash of Spanish Smoked Paprika, are super meaty, cheesy, and satisfying. The subtle heat from the smoked paprika marries everything together to create a perfect egg bite. These are a MUST for your Easter table. They’ll definitely be on mine.
Easter is a really big thing in Poland. It actually lasts for two days: Sunday and Monday. And of course, there are plenty of traditions during the days leading up to Easter. For instance, on Saturday we would go to church with a little basket filled with different food groups: eggs, bread, ham, babka, fruit, etc., and have it blessed.
Traditionally, after this ceremony, we were allowed to eat the meat; signifying the end of lent. What was great about it was that you could see all different colored eggs in everyone’s Easter baskets. Obviously, this aspect of it was a huge crowd-pleaser for the kids. Afterward, we managed to eat ALL these eggs within the next two days. My mom would always come up with some sort of stuffed eggs and I loved them.
Even though I’m no longer as zealous about the church, I do want to keep some of these traditions alive so my two little boys can enjoy them too. So, for every holiday I’m always cooking traditional Polish meals. For example, I would cook these Pierogi with Potatoes and Cheese and Pierogi with Mushroom and Sauerkraut for Christmas, and these stuffed eggs for Easter.
That said, these Stuffed Eggs with Ham & Cheese is actually a play on traditional Polish recipe. The conventional way of eating eggs for Easter was to: cut them in half, place them flat side down, and cover them with mayo which is called “Jajka w Majonezie” Eggs Mayonnaise. I love this way of preparing them too. In fact, I make them every year for Easter. The only twist on this traditional recipe is that I just sprinkle some green onions on top.
Anyways, this recipe for Stuffed Eggs with Ham & Cheese is very simple, but they’re more of an undertaking than just a bite of your regular deviled eggs. Caution: this is not a one-bite type of egg! You’ll need to take it down it two. But they are so good.
Here’s what I put into my stuffed eggs:
- Egg yolks;
- Good quality ham;
- Shredded Gruyere cheese (you can substitute with cheddar);
- Pickle;
- Mustard;
- Mayo;
- Parsley;
- Black Pepper; &
- Spanish Smoked Paprika.
Don’t add salt to it until you mix everything together and taste it. I actually didn’t need to add any salt. All of these ingredients had enough saltiness for me. But it is a personal preference, so try your mixture and adjust accordingly. Once mixed, fill up your egg whites, sprinkle Smoked Paprika, and a dash of parsley or chives, and you’ll be a superstar this coming Easter.
Oh, and I forgot to mention…on Easter Monday (which is an official Holiday – ie, no school & no work) we pour water on each other. If you’re interested in the origin of this tradition check it out on Wikipedia.
More Recipes to Try with Spanish Smoked Paprika
- Romesco Sauce – Spanish Smokey Pepper, Tomato and Almond Sauce
- Spanish Style Tuna Stew with Potatoes, Peppers and Tomatoes
- Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Smoked Paprika and Coconut Milk
- Spanish Style Garlic Shrimp – Gambas Al Ajillo
- Unique Egg Salad with Corn, Cheese and Smoked Paprika
- Leftover Turkey Spanish Rice
Stuffed Eggs with Ham & Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 Eggs
- 1/2 cup Gruyere Cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup Ham cut into very small cubes
- 1 Dill Pickle small, cut up in small cubes
- 1 tbsp Parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 2 tbsp Mayonaise
- Black Pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Spanish Smoked Paprika
Instructions
- In a pot bring the water to boil. Add eggs and cook them for 10 minutes. remove from the pot and cool off in cold water for 10-12 minutes (depending on the size of the eggs).
- Once the eggs are cooled off, cut them in a half, remove egg yolks and place them in a bowl;
- Cut the ham into very small cubes, shred the cheese and add both to the bowl with the egg yolks; add chopped parsley, cut up pickle, mustard, mayo, and black pepper. Mix well.
- Check for seasoning and adjust as needed.
- Fill out the egg whites with a spoonful of egg yolk mixture; sprinkle with smoked paprika and some more parsley. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on March 2018
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I really like the combination of the ham, gruyere and the smoked paprika in this recipe. Thanks.
Thank you!
What an amazing appetizers, your photos are gorgeous!
Thank you Emily!
I simply adore deviled eggs!! I love that you added ham! Easter was a big thing in my family too, but it didn’t last for days! But that sounds fun! I’m going to try your recipe for Easter this year!!
Thank you Elaine. I hope you’ll like them!
These sound so flavorful! I love everything in them!
Thank you Alison!
These will be a great recipe to use after Easter to use up all those eggs!
Absolutely! 🙂
These are SO pretty! For Easter or any brunch. Love the flavors and LOVE the sprinkle of paprika on top.
Thank you Valentina.
I recently re-committed to a low carb diet after gaining a couple of pounds during lockdown. I went in search of a recipe like this, as my Babcia used to make these. I tried your recipe yesterday and they are absolutely delicious – just like my Babcia used to make! I substituted lovage for parsley, as I prefer the milder flavor. Amazing! Thank you for this recipe!
Wonderful. I’m so glad you like it. I’m also happy I brought you memories of your Babcia.
Now I expect to see these eggs as part of my Easter fare!!! 😉
Excellent Easter appetizer, a step above your standard deviled eggs. I will make these again, probably this week!