Foolproof Hard-Boiled Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs are a mom's secret weapon. For one thing, they're incredibly versatile. Serve them for breakfast or at snack-time, pack them in a lunch box, or mash with mayo for egg salad. Plus, they're healthy, weighing in with 6 grams of protein and delivering satisfying healthy fats. Did we mention they're also portable, kid-friendly, and inexpensive?

But achieving perfect hard-boiled eggs can be frustrating. The eggs can overcook quickly, resulting in that sickly gray ring between the white and the yolk. It's also all-too-easy to undercook them, leaving you with a runny center which can be delicious if you want it, but messy if you don't. Finally, sometimes the darn things are virtually impossible to peel.

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This method solves all of these problems. The secret? We actually steam the eggs instead of boil them...although we still call them "hard-boiled" because the result is the same.

Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs 

1. Fill a medium saucepan with an inch of water. Bring to a boil. Insert a steamer basket.

2. Lower large eggs onto the steamer basket in a single layer. Cover the pot, reduce the heat slightly, and steam the eggs for 12 minutes.

3. Remove the pot from the heat. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water. Peel when cool, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

For extra easy-peel insurance, start with eggs that are about a week old, not the ones you just brought home from the supermarket (or picked up at the farm!).

So get steamy and cook up a batch of hard-boiled eggs over the weekend. You'll be prepped for some egg-cellent family-friendly breakfasts, lunches, and snacks.

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• By Jenna Helwig