The Extra Creamy Addition For A Unique Spin On Polish Egg Salad

When you think of Polish food, dishes like pierogi or paczki might come to mind, but today we're deep-diving into another less common dish that the Polish do equally well. We're talking about egg salad, which arguably gets less hype than macaroni salad at backyard barbecues. Likewise, potato salad has well-known French, German, and Korean versions, all of which are drastically different. But egg salad is far from a one-trick pony, as Polish foodies know, and this no-frills take on the classic is anything but boring — especially with one creamy addition.

Polish egg salad (aka pasta jajeczna) is typically a straightforward combination of hard-boiled eggs, mayo, chives, and salt and pepper. But, for a unique spin on the Polish classic, swap the mayo for cream cheese. For a less rich bite, you could use the ingredients in equal parts, or simply add a dollop of cream cheese in addition to the mayo. The result is a tangy, filling bite with a luxuriously rich mouthfeel and stiffer texture.

To whip up a quick elevated egg salad, soften a brick of plain cream cheese, then mash it with a little mayo in a separate bowl (if desired). From there, gently incorporate the cream cheese mixture with the chopped hard-boiled eggs and chives. Feel free to customize and season your reimagined Polish egg salad with other flavorful ingredients however you see fit.

Serve this creamy take on Polish egg salad as a side at your next summer picnic or fall tailgate. For a light lunch, it would make for a killer sandwich between two pieces of rye bread with an iceberg lettuce leaf. You could serve it on buttery crackers as a hors d'oeuvre, and it'll hold up better structurally than mustardy American egg salad thanks to the stiffer cream cheese. Cut out tiny circles of plush white bread to make your richer Polish egg salad into tea sandwiches. Or, for an elevated wholesome snack for kiddos, it could be scooped up with celery stalks, baby carrots, briny cornichons, or pretzels. You could even try using this cream cheese Polish egg salad as a filling in stuffed bell peppers, and it would be great on an everything bagel.