Call me old fashioned, but I just don’t get why people opt to use plastic eggs for Easter egg hunts. It’s wasteful and not as tasty as the real thing. Plus, isn’t egg decorating part of the fun of non religious Easter traditions? No judgement, just my non parent opinion. 

This year I had the pleasure of dyeing eggs with a dear friend’s two little boys. I hadn’t done this in years. We had a blast. The boys were excited to find the ‘real’ eggs that the Easter bunny hid, and the dyeing activity was a fun way for all of us to get somewhat creative. And bonus, we were left with a bunch of eggs.

I guess for those who go hog wild with the secular tradition of having a ginormous Easter egg hunt, I can understand why the fake plastic eggs are practical. What would one do with dozens of hard boiled eggs. Deviled egg party? Drop eggs from a four-story building to see what happens?

What I like to do with hard boiled eggs, whether they are leftover from Easter or not, is make my favorite egg salad sandwich. The recipe is inspired by one of my old Portland favorites, Grand Central Baking. They’re a Portland staple with a location in almost every neighborhood in town. When my husband and I first moved back to Portland a few months ago, we found ourselves at our local Grand Central daily because in addition to great pastries, bread and sandwiches, they also have free wifi. Grand Central became our breakfast and lunch spot as well as our temporary work headquarters. I was reminded of how much I used to love Grand Central’s basil egg salad sandwich when I lived in Portland during my twenties. The sandwich still has a place on the menu, and it tastes just like I remember. The sun dried tomato mayo adds a bump of sweetness and the basil’s aromatics complement the other flavors. Grand Central’s version is served on their olive loaf, which adds a kick of brininess from the olives. All the flavors meld together and make for an elevated, not so boring egg salad sandwich.

My kitchen notes 

If you want the full Grand Central flavor, consider using olive bread. If you can’t find olive bread, don’t worry, your egg salad sandwich  will still be tasty.

Basil Egg Salad Sandwich – inspired by Grand Central Baking 

Sun dried tomato mayonnaise

1/4 cup drained sun-dried tomatoes

2 small garlic cloves

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1. In a food processor, pulse the sun-dried tomatoes with the garlic and cayenne until finely chopped, then puree until smooth. Add the mayonnaise and pulse just until blended.

2. Can be made in advance. The flavor gets better with time.

Egg salad sandwich 

Makes approximately 4 sandwiches 

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and roughly chopped

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder, or Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive bread

Lettuce, onion or any other garnish you like on your sandwich

1. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, mayonnaise, mustard powder,  salt and pepper to taste. Gently mix until combined.

2. Spread the inside of the olive bread halves with a layer of the sun dried tomato mayonnaise. Line the bottom half with lettuce, onion or whatever garnish you prefer, and top with the egg salad.