Avocado Could Never Replace Mayo in My Egg Salad

Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele

There are plenty of food trends that sound interesting and delicious. And then there are some food trends that sound unthinkable: poppyseed chicken made with yogurt; sweet tea made with stevia; coconut oil with cornbread; gluten-free fried chicken? So when it comes to Southern classics, I'd prefer to stick to what I know and love.

If you're on a health kick, okay – I understand swapping in some lower-fat ingredients to make that chicken casserole not-so-heavy. But, I implore you to not present that "skinny" casserole to those of us who love the classics pretending that it's the cheesy, comforting original.

One of the most unusual trends to cross my plate is, undoubtedly, the concept of avocado-based egg salad. Usually, the addition of this creamy fruit in recipes is used as a replacement for fat. That means in the case of egg salad, avocado could be replacing mayo. Mayonnaise on the chopping block? Sure enough, avocado egg salad calls for avocados to take the place of most, if not all, the mayonnaise called for in an egg salad recipe. Sorry, but this green egg salad has no place at my next ladies' luncheon.

Let's not mess with my Mama's egg salad recipe. Classic, creamy, mayonnaise-based egg salad, a delicacy among Southern cuisine, has very few ingredients. There's a reason that it's a favorite among picnics, parties, and church luncheons across the region – it's delicious and dependable. Grab about 6 boiled eggs, mash with a potato masher (grandmother's trick!), add a hearty dollop of mayonnaise, and squeeze in some yellow mustard. A pinch of salt and pepper are all the seasonings you need. From here, you can add your red onions, chopped celery, sweet pickle relish, or fresh herbs if you desire. But, that creamy, soft, silky egg salad needs no further dressing up.