That moment when you reflect back on a few childhood recipes that were so odd, you were (and still are) convinced no one outside your family could possibly want to eat them or appreciate how awesome they were. Well, I had that recently. Mom and The Gram each had a few tuna recipes up their sleeves while I was growing up.

One consisted of tuna, cheese, green olives, and hot dog buns all baked and melted together into the weirdest-looking, surprisingly delicious sandwich. It was the mainstay of every milestone celebration in the family. If you were getting confirmed, you were also getting these sandwiches during the post-ceremony family gathering. Someone asked you to host a shower? Hope they like tuna and cheese baked into a hot dog bun wrapped in foil ’cause that’s how we’re gonna celebrate. Got a new job? Yeah, we’re going out for pizza on that one. Okay, but for all the other milestones, those hot dog sandwiches were happening.

And now I’m on a tuna kick. K-Hubs totally ratifies this decision. Toodle and Twinkle are warming up one nibble at a time. All I can say is when it comes to Tuna Salad-Stuffed Eggs, the magic is in the green olives. And the red onion, green onion, and celery— fine, pretty much the whole recipe is on lock. It also fits nicely into the grain-free sandwich kick we’re on. Remember that? Toodle and I brainstormed all the different ways a person could enjoy a sandwich without the bread.

We came up with a Baked Tomato Cup with Bacon and Eggs, Crab-Stuffed Avocados, Mayo-Free, Paleo Egg Salad, One-Skillet Spicy Chicken Fajitas, and Loaded Shrimp Tacos to name a few. Now you can confidently add eggs to this category because eggs make the perfect nest for a salad, and now I’m wondering what other salads can rely on the sturdiness of this major culinary development. When you find something that works, run with it. Boiled eggs totally work.

You may be wondering whether this is a spring and summer thing. Like, maybe I’m offering this up too soon. Never, Spiriteds. Never. Tastiness knows no bounds. In addition to being absolutely spring, summer, and fall-ready, these Tuna Salad-Stuffed Eggs are perfect for winter. Like, maybe you’re sitting in your house awaiting a major ice storm except nothing is happening outside your window…yet. Yep, you could totally eat these. Or so I’ve heard.

Maybe you want to eat a salad but are a little lettuce weary. I love me some lettuce, but admittedly, every now and then I need something a little different, too. As The Gram would say, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

So what are you doing with these? First you’re boiling the eggs. Spiriteds, I tried a new way to peel a boiled egg without damaging the egg itself. OMIGOD. It was a scream. I read all these different ways to successfully peel a boiled egg, and of course I went for the messiest one of the bunch. Keep the eggs in the saucepan, add cold water, and slosh them around enough that they tap each other and the sides of the pan to gently crack.

Two words come to mind.

Water. Everywhere.

Seriously, there was water all over my faucet, around the sink, on the floor, all over my shirt. But did it work? Yes, yes, it did. Just maybe use a little less water than I did. Also make sure your pan is REALLY deep.

Ooh, and a total side note on those eggs, err on the side of large or extra large eggs, if you can. This recipe makes a lot of egg salad. I usually have more leftover than I have eggs to stuff. I keep thinking I’ll remedy the recipe. Except then I find K-Hubs has eaten all the leftovers and the problem is solved. Sooooo….

Actually, this makes a wonderful stand-alone salad if you do want to eat it from a bowl with a fork like a normal person. You can also cut back a little on the accoutrements, think the celery and a smaller can of tuna, if you want to match the salad quantity with the size of the eggs. Or just tower your salad onto each egg, grab a bib, and hope for the best.

Okay, two, you’re going to mix up the other accoutrements, including the eponymous tuna. So deliciously filling, I can’t even. There are literally no more cans to give. Add olive oil, and when in doubt, add a little more. There is something about crunchy celery that keeps this salad from being traditional and boring. I don’t know. I guess I can totally see where people might not get uber excited about tuna salad. And I’m not all that crazy about celery…unless it’s slathered in dip. But here? It MAKES THE SALAD.

And then there are the green olives. If I could only eat one kind of olive for the rest of my life, it would be the green olive. And that’s just how I roll. So they are in abundance here. As for red onion, is there any other way to dress up a salad? Because, seriously, red onion is my FAVORITE way to pack a punch in just about any recipe. Maybe you’ve figured that out already. And then green onion. Because it is the steady add-on to so many a recipe, and so why not here?

Third, scoop some salad into each egg. I like using an ice cream scoop for larger eggs with deeper centers or a standard teaspoon/tablespoon for smaller eggs. Finally, top with cracked pepper and dish out.

There is one catch. This salad has a tendency to dry out once it has been sitting out. If you are making these for a party, perhaps a big football game happening in February, keep them covered in the fridge, pulling out only what you think will be snatched up quickly.

These might not have been wrapped in foil or a hotdog bun, but I’m telling you, they will be grabbed up and enjoyed in no time. A salad that also happens to be a finger food? Yeah, they won’t be sitting out for long.

Paleo Tuna Salad-Stuffed Eggs Recipe

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Yield: 2 dozen eggs 1x

Ingredients

Scale

6 extra large eggs, hard-boiled
1 can tuna
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 cup green olives, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup green onion, sliced
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon onion salt, optional

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Instructions

Slice eggs lengthwise. Scoop out and chop egg yolks.
In a large mixing bowl, combine egg yolks, tuna, olive oil, celery, green olives, red onion, green onion, and sea salt. Mix well.
Using an ice cream scoop, tablespoon, or teaspoon (depending on the size of your eggs), pour mixture into eggs and pat gently to keep in place.
Top with cracked pepper.
For best results serve immediately or store covered in the refrigerator for one day.