Disclosure: This recipe for Blue Cheese and Bacon Deviled Eggs is sponsored by Dairy Max. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Because of sponsors like Dairy Max I am able to continue to bring you all the content I feature here.
Looking for a show stopping party appetizer perfect for New Year’s Eve? These Blue Cheese and Bacon Deviled Eggs, take a classic deviled egg recipe to the next level, with a creamy and flavorful deviled egg filling packed with smoky bacon and robust blue cheese!
In some ways it is hard to believe that 2017 is almost over. In other ways I am so ready for the start of a fresh new year, as this year has been a roller coaster of highs and lows. As we quickly approach 2018, I have been spending the past few days reflecting on the past year as I prepare for a small New Year’s Eve get together with friends. Enjoying some simple, yet elegant appetizers, such as these Blue Cheese and Bacon Deviled Eggs, and some sort of bubbly cocktail and mocktail as we watch the ball drop on TV, sounds like the perfect way to say goodbye to 2017 and hello 2018.
One of the highlights of 2017 was being invited to this year’s #DairyAmazing Symposium, hosted and sponsored by Dairy Max. Dairy Max is a non-profit dairy council that bridges the gap between dairy farmers and consumers, to provide consumers with information about dairy farming, education, business operations and health and wellness. They represent more than 900 dairy farm families across Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and southwest Kansas; and work with organizations in these areas, like the Dallas Cowboys, to help educate and promote the health benefits of dairy.
At the #DairyAmazing Symposium, held at the Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio, Texas; I was able to learn and network with other culinary and health specialists, including nutritionists, educators, doctors and other chefs and bloggers. We learned the health benefits of incorporating dairy into a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle and the life of a dairy farmer. We also took cooking classes from the culinary institute chef instructors and had a little team cooking competition where we recreated #DairyAmazing recipes for an end of conference feast.
My husband and I are already huge consumers of dairy products, because we love the taste and the fact that dairy products are such nutrient dense food. In fact, did you know dairy products, including cow’s milk, cheese and yogurt, are packed with nine essential vitamins and nutrients (including vitamin A and D) and milk has 8 grams of protein per glass?!
Chocolate and strawberry milk paired with breakfast treats from Bakery Lorraine
Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
One thing I did learn more about at the symposium was consuming dairy when you have a lactose intolerance. Even though my husband and I love dairy products, I do have a few family members who are lactose intolerant. They mostly take medicine to still be able to enjoy dairy products despite their intolerances; but I learned there are a number of dairy products that people with lactose intolerances can enjoy without medicine or digestive discomfort.
There are many lactose-free products on the market today, like milk and ice cream, that are made with real milk, just without the lactose. Many people with lactose intolerances can also safely consume yogurt and other dairy products with live and active cultures, like kefir. The active cultures in yogurt and kefir actually help your body digest lactose, making these products great for people with a lactose intolerance!
Of all the things I learned at the #DairyAmazing Symposium, my favorite was listing to local dairy farmer, Frank Volleman, from Wildcat Dairy. Farmers and ranchers will always have my utmost respect and hold a special place in my heart for all the hard work they do to bring nutritious and fresh food to my table. Listing to Frank’s presentation, I could see the passion he has for dairy farming. He comes from a long line of dairy farmers and his sons are working hard to make advances in the industry.
It was not only evident that Frank loves what he does, he loves all the cows at his farm. He provides bedding for his cows to lie on and changes it multiple times a week. During the hot Texas summers, he brings in fans and misters to keep his cows cool and meticulously cares for his cows by growing his own food for them and making sure they are clean and healthy.
After listening to speakers all day, it was nice to get in the kitchen and use our skills and knowledge to make some #DairyAmazing recipes. Personally, it was fun for me to be back in a professional teaching kitchen and even though I was the student, not the teacher, I enjoyed Chef Hinnerk Von Bargen’s cooking demo, where he made Monterey Jack Tuiles with Pico De Gallo (click for the recipe) and these Blue Cheese and Bacon Deviled Eggs (recipe below).
We then worked as teams to prepare our lunch. My team made Tomato Mac and Cheese with Cauliflower Béchamel Sauce, a recipe I want to tinker around with some more and share here on the blog in the future. Of the items served for our #DairyAmazing feast, I loved the Smoked Cheddar and Kale Empanadas, Balsamic Strawberries with Ricotta Cream (click for the recipe) and the Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce.
Monterey Jack Tuiles with Pico De Gallo
Balsamic Strawberries with Ricotta Cream
Below is the recipe for Blue Cheese and Bacon Deviled Eggs, adapted from the recipe Chef Von Bargen demoed. I chose this recipe to share today because bacon and blue cheese are two of my favorite flavor profiles. Not only were these deviled eggs packed with flavor, I thought it was genius that since we were using heavier ingredients in the deviled egg filling, this recipe uses low fat cottage cheese, instead of the traditional mayo! If you don’t have cottage cheese, non-fat plain yogurt would also work great to create a creamy and “lighter” deviled egg filling.
I’ve always loved deviled eggs, ever since I was a child, and LOVE that they are making a HUGE comeback. Not only can you find fancy pants deviled eggs at restaurants and catered events, I love that I can start serving them again at my dinner parties, because no matter how I fix them, they are always a favorite party appetizer!
Helpful Tips and Information:
Cooking Tip: Always struggle with making hard boiled eggs? Check out my tutorial, Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs, for all my tips and tricks to making easy and flawless hard-boiled eggs. Hint… Hint… older eggs work best and did you know you can even make hard-boiled eggs in the oven?!?
Make Ahead: Hard-boiled eggs can be made 4 or 5 days before serving and stored in the shell in the refrigerator. The actual deviled eggs can be made up to 8 hours in advance.
If you like this recipe for Blue Cheese and Bacon Deviled Eggs, then you’ll love these other appetizer recipes:
Lemon Caper Deviled Eggs
Spicy Sweet Potato Dip
Monte Cristo Pinwheels
Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Cheese Torta
Clam Dip
These Blue Cheese and Bacon Deviled Eggs, take a classic deviled egg recipe to the next level, with a creamy and flavorful deviled egg filling packed with smoky bacon and robust blue cheese!
- 12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and rinsed
- 1 (8-ounce) carton low fat cottage cheese
- 1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles, divided
- 1 teaspoon Djion mustard
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- ¼ teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper
- 3 tablespoons chopped cooked bacon, divided
- 1 teaspoon paprika, for garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives, optional for garnish
- Carefully cut eggs in half lengthwise and remove yolks.
- In a small food processor combine egg yolks, cottage cheese, ¼ cup blue cheese, brown mustard, hot sauce, and 1 ½ tablespoons bacon.
- Process on low until well combined and creamy.
- Transfer egg filling to a large piping bag or freezer baggie filled with a large round piping tip. Pipe egg yolk mixture into egg whites. Top egg yolk filling with a dash of paprika, remaining blue cheese and bacon crumbles and chopped chives, if using.
- Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Adapted from Dairy Max
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