This year (as eggs are currently selling for $4.95 a dozen on average), the pressure’s on to sustain beloved family traditions while also ensuring that none of those precious Easter eggs go to waste.

This sounds like a challenge for the Lutheran Ladies ...

In their latest Iron Ladle Challenge, Erin, Sarah, and Rachel are cooking with eggs — both raw and hard-boiled. Rachel offers a fresh take on the classic seven-layer salad with her nine-(or-ten?-)layer Cobb salad; Sarah whips up a Paleo-friendly, coffee- and cardamom-infused, almond-milk baked egg custard (from scratch!); and Erin digs deep into her own family history to serve up a literal golden oldie, Egg à la Goldenrod.

Spring is the air — and eggs are on the table — in this delectable episode.

Rachel’s Many Layered Cobb Salad

In an 11 x 15 pan, layer (in order):

• 1 head chopped iceberg lettuce
• 1+ cup chopped celery
• 1+ cup frozen baby peas, cooked and cooled
• Dressing: 1(ish) pint mayonnaise, mixed with 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning
• 1+ cup thin sliced grape tomatoes
• 1 diced chicken breast (rotisserie, roasted, or fried)
• 5+ chopped hard boiled eggs
• ½ pound crumbled bacon
• Shredded Colby-jack cheese to taste

(Optional extra layers: diced onions, chopped avocado; may substitute bleu cheese for Colby-jack.)

Dairy-Free Baked Egg Custard (from Sarah)

(paleopantry.org/dairy-free-baked-egg-custard-made-with-almond-milk)

600ml almond milk

1 vanilla pod (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)

4 egg yolks, plus 2 whole eggs

3-4 tablespoons honey (to taste)

1 whole nutmeg, for grating

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F.

Pour the milk into a saucepan. Slit the vanilla pod in half length ways. Scrape out the seeds with the tip of the knife and add to the milk, along with the pod. Heat slowly over a gentle heat to just below boiling point, until you see small bubbles barely breaking the surface. Expect this to take at least 10 minutes, and stir frequently with a whisk or wooden spoon. Take off the heat. Fish out and discard the vanilla pod.

Whisk the eggs and honey until fully blended. Gradually pour the hot milk over the eggs in a thin stream, whisking constantly to prevent the hot milk from curdling the eggs. Keep whisking until fully blended. Push through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps.

Pour the custard into 4 ramekins with a capacity of at least 200ml, or one large dish – the recipe makes about 800ml. Finely grate the nutmeg, then sprinkle over the top (you may have more nutmeg than you need, but personally I go for a generous dusting).

Arrange the ramekins / dish in a deep roasting tray, leaving space around the sides. Pour in just-boiled water from the kettle, until it reaches half-way up the sides of the ramekins. Transfer to the lowest shelf of the pre-heated oven, where the heat is gentlest.

Check after 30 minutes for ramekins / 1 hour for a large dish. The custard should be just set. Test for doneness by giving a gentle shake – if there is a slight wobble in the centre of an otherwise solid mass then it is done, otherwise return to the oven and re-test in another 5 minutes.

Either leave to cool for 30 minutes and serve warm, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to serve chilled. The custard will keep well for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. For best results, remove from the refrigerator half an hour before serving. For a refreshing breakfast, serve with tart berry fruits.

Note: Sarah substituted maple syrup for honey and extremely fine-ground cardamom coffee grounds for nutmeg.

Egg à la Goldenrod (from Erin)

Serves 3-4

½ c butter

½ c flour

1 t salt

1 t pepper

3 ½ c milk

5 eggs, hardboiled

Biscuits for serving (at least 6, but make 12)

Peel the eggs and remove the yolks, whole if possible. Reserve the yolks. Cut the whites into small, bite-size pieces.

Heat butter in a saucepan over low heat until melted. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. Gradually add in the milk, stirring (yes, constantly). Once it is all incorporated, simmer and stir (!) for 1 minute. Mix in the egg whites.

Grate the egg yolks with a fine grater into a small serving dish. This is the Goldenrod!

Serve the egg gravy over biscuits. Top with the egg yolk Goldenrod and a sprinkle of paprika.

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!

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