JUDY'S RANCH DEVILED EGGS

I remember when eggs were out of favor and no one would serve a deviled egg at their party. Guy and I went against that trend and continued to eat eggs through that period. I'm so glad eggs are back in. When I put out a dish of deviled eggs at a party, they're usually always the first thing that goes. My plate holds 15, so the extra half goes in the center, surrounded by olives. I know there are many variations on deviled eggs. You can add chopped olives, tuna, salmon, lobster....the list is endless. This is a basic recipe, and if you want to add fish or whatever, go for it.

Judy's Ranch Deviled Eggs
INGREDIENTS:
8 eggs, room temperature
2 Tbsp. cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese (I used Neufchatel)
1/3 cup thick ranch dressing (I use the Ranch dressing packets and mix my own so I can control the fat content -- make it with light or nonfat sour cream)
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. mayo (I used Smart Balance)
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (I used Italian flat leaf)
smoked paprika (McCormick's)
DIRECTIONS: Pierce a hole in the end of each egg with a pin or thumb tack. This will help the egg not to crack in the water. Place room temperature eggs in a heavy nonreactive pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover, and turn off heat. Let stand for 1 hour. Peel eggs and cut in half. Spoon yolks into a medium bowl, food processor or blender and place whites on your serving dish.
Add cream cheese to yolks and mash by hand, with electric mixer or in blender or food processor till lumps are out. Add ranch dressing, salt, pepper, and mayo and beat till smooth and fluffy. (If desired, you can add some of the chopped parsley to the egg mixture, or you can just use it all for sprinkling over the tops.)
Spoon egg mixture into resealable plastic sandwich bag, pushing it down towards one corner. Seal bag, pressing out air. Snip corner of bag and squeeze mixture into whites. Sprinkle paprika and parsley over eggs for garnish. Yield: 16 deviled egg halves
Note: You can cut the corner of the bag first, then insert a decorative tube, then add the egg mixture. You will have filling left over and it will make a great sandwich spread.