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Egg Salad Lettuce Cups

Name: Egg Salad Lettuce Cups
Prep time: 12 min
Total time: 12 min
Yield: 4 lettuce cups, 2 portions
Ingredients: 4 commercially prepared fully cooked peeled hard-boiled eggs, kept refrigerated; 2 tbsp pasteurized-egg mayonnaise; 1 tsp prepared yellow mustard; 1/4 cup ready-to-eat shredded carrot; 4 medium romaine lettuce leaves

Suggested ages 9–12 Independent prep — adult nearby; no heat

4 lettuce cups, 2 portionsActive 12 minTotal 12 min

Ready-cooked, peeled eggs let this recipe stay entirely cold. Mash them with a fork, add a small amount of dressing, and scoop the salad into lettuce leaves. The result is soft in the middle with a fresh, crisp edge.

Start with the grown-up check

Lettuce cups filled with egg and carrot salad. — AI-generated gouache-style food illustration. Follow the written ingredients and method.

Before you begin · grown-up check

An adult checks the setup, ingredient labels and task suitability, then stays nearby while the young cook prepares the recipe without heat.

Together wash hands with soap and water and clean the work surface.
Adult checks ingredient labels, equipment and task suitability; ages are starting guides, not a guarantee of readiness.
An adult stays nearby throughout.

Ages are a starting guide. A grown-up checks your readiness and stays nearby. Follow the actor label on every step.

Let’s make it

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Young cookRinse the lettuce leaves and pat them dry. Choose whole leaves that can hold a small scoop.
Young cookPut the ready-cooked peeled eggs in the bowl and mash them with the fork into small pieces.
Young cookStir in the mayonnaise, mustard and shredded carrot until evenly combined.
Young cookSpoon one-quarter of the egg salad into each lettuce leaf. Set them on the plate and serve cold.

The skill you’re learning

Mashing with a fork gives you control over size without a sharp knife. Press down on an egg against the bowl first, then use short strokes to break the pieces smaller.

Try one change

Replace the mayonnaise with 2 tbsp thick plain yogurt if suitable; this adds milk, while egg remains present.

Serving & storing

Refrigerate covered at 40°F or below within 2 hours of preparation (1 hour above 90°F); use within 1 day. For a packed lunch, use an insulated lunch bag with two cold sources and keep chilled until eating; discard uneaten packed portions after lunch. Use the ready-cooked eggs within their label’s shorter opened-storage time if applicable.

Cook with a grown-up

Read the young-cook and grown-up guide for help labels, clean preparation and ingredient checks.

Keep your recipe card

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Printable ingredients, age and actor-labeled steps for Egg Salad Lettuce Cups