Budget lunches: don't forget egg salad

I have truly been trying to budget wisely at the grocery store this year. I peruse the aisles for the best deals and I have been preparing recipes that easily double as dinner and the next day's lunch. Meatloaf, rice and beans, a soup or two.

One item I like to make specifically for lunch time is a simple egg salad. I feel like the ingredients are typical for most kitchens--a couple of common condiments, spices, eggs and hopefully some bread to make a nice sandwich. I boil six eggs at a time. I cover the eggs in water, put the covered pan on the heat and I occupy myself in the other room until I hear the pan start to shake. The clattering top indicates a rolling boil, at which point I turn the heat off and let the eggs sit for at least 15 minutes [I never time it...I usually just forget about the project for a little while]. Then I rinse with cool water, crack, peel and put the eggs in a mixing bowl.

Commence salad creation: Break up the eggs, either with clean hands, a fork & knife, or some other handy tool. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika--or whatever you think will taste good. Douse with a generous helping of your mustard of choice. Mix. Little by little, add a bit of mayo and mix and mash the mixture making sure to crush the yellow yolks. Add a sufficient amount of mayo for good taste and moist texture--but don't go overboard! I don't measure. This is a cook's discretion. With mayo I figure you can always add more, but you can't take it out; so add in small increments.

I store my egg salad in a tight fitting, deep plastic container (deep as opposed to wide to minimize surface area). Make a quick sandwich of egg salad and a bit of lettuce on some whole grain bread (fiber is good for you!). This is a pretty nutritious lunch, quick to make, inexpensive and easy to take with you! Oh yes, and quite tasty in my opinion.