It's that time of year again: “Easter Egg Time.” What do you do with all of those colored hard boiled eggs?

I remember when my kids were of Easter basket age. After the drabness of winter (it had been a long time since Christmas), they needed some cheering up. With no birthdays since December, there had been little to celebrate. They were ready!

I would hard boil between two and three dozen eggs on Saturday. After all, they needed to be colored and decorated for the Easter bunny to add to their baskets that he would deliver on Easter morning. It was an exciting time. I had three willing helpers: Tom, Anne and Elizabeth.

I covered the kitchen table with layers of newspaper as the base of operations. There was a bowl for each color of Easter egg dye with the empty cartons ready to receive the decorated eggs after they had been dipped and dried. We might write on a plain egg before dropping it in a dye bowl. One half of an egg might be dyed one color and the other half another color. It was a fun time. The kitchen would be a disaster by the time it was over.

I put the cartons of eggs in the refrigerator after promising the kids that I would take them out for the Easter bunny before I went to bed. During the night, I quietly added them to their baskets that I had prepared the night before.

It was fun. But what do you do with so many hard-boiled eggs? I made sure they were removed from their baskets and safely back in the refrigerator after the initial excitement had worn off. By then, they were more interested in their chocolate bunnies and jelly beans anyway.

Of course, you could always make deviled eggs, but I wanted something different. Try my Egg and Sour Cream Casserole. They really are just glorified deviled eggs but with a twist.

EASTER EGG CASSEROLE
9 hard-boiled eggs, halved lengthwise
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated onion
4 teaspoons minced parsley
1 2/3 teaspoons prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

Remove yolks from eggs and mash well. Blend with 3 tablespoons butter, onion, parsley, mustard, salt and pepper. Fill egg whites with mixture. Place, cut side down, in shallow casserole. Cover with sour cream and sprinkle with crumbs. Dot with remaining butter. Bake at 350 F. for 25 minutes. Makes 6 servings.