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Simple Pleasures: Pimento Cheese Recipe

2008_06_11-pimentocheese.jpgThere aren't many foods that you'll see in the lunchbox of a kindergartner and on the fanciest hors d'oeuvre platter. But the simple pleasure of pimento cheese is a way of life for many southerners, appearing everywhere from funeral spreads, to tea party menus, and picnic blankets.

 
 

Pimento cheese (or pimenna or mento cheese, depending on where you're from), the blend of sharp cheddar, sweet-spicy pimiento peppers, and rich mayonnaise, is far more than the sum of its parts. It's a creamy, slightly sweet and slightly sharp spread. When properly made, is also a bit punchy, just like the best southern hostesses who serve it.

For this writer, it especially smacks of summertime and visiting grandparents, where sandwiches made with cold pimento cheese were a welcome relief from the Texas heat.

There are as many ways to make pimento cheese as there are cooks who make it. It can be chunky or smooth, spicy or mild, complex or simple. Some cooks use only homemade mayonnaise, others swear by Duke's or Hellmans, and some add cream cheese.

And you can serve it with celery sticks, use it on grilled cheese sandwiches, or use it instead of mayonnaise in deviled eggs. At The Varsity in Atlanta, it's even used as a burger topping.

Following our mother's example, we like to pipe it inside of split snow peas or on top of cherry tomato halves for an easy hors d'oeuvre. But the most classic way to serve pimento cheese is in tea sandwiches, spread on spongy white bread with the crusts cut off. 2008_06_11-pipedpimentocheese.jpg Pimento Cheese Recipe
makes about 2 cups

10 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise, preferably homemade
1 small jar chopped pimiento peppers (about 4 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon horseradish sauce (optional)

Chunky style, for spooning atop crackers, or digging into with a fork
Stir all ingredients together in a bowl, mashing with a fork. Refrigerate for at least one hour and preferably overnight.

Smooth style especially good for fancy piping and dipping
Increase mayonnaise to 3/4 of a cup. Combine all ingredients in a food processor, and puree until smooth. Refrigerate for at least one hour and preferably overnight.

Related: Easy Food Processor Dips

Images: Nina Callaway

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Sandwich, Keeps Well, Easy, Make Ahead

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Comments (12)

Great post! I love pimento cheese. But as a child I would not eat it because of the texture of the pimentos. My palette for vegetables of any type or amount was pretty limited back then. In my family we go with the "pimenna" cheese pronunciation.

posted by H.H. Hannah on June 11th 2008 at 11:06am
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Pimento cheese always transports me to the memory of hiding in my great aunt's rose bush so that I didn't have to eat any more of it. As northern kids visiting southern relatives, this was not something we relished. But I haven't had it in a while ... should revisit.

posted by cakekick on June 11th 2008 at 11:22am
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favorite.thing.ever!

posted by aleec on June 11th 2008 at 11:24am
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I can't believe I've never had the pleasure of tasting homemade pimento cheese. But that's what I get for growing up in California. Love the idea of piping it into cherry tomatoes. I'm definitely going to try your recipe - and I even have a little jar of pimentos already in the pantry, so it was obviously meant to be. ; )

posted by Farmgirl Susan on June 11th 2008 at 11:45am
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Pimento cheese is the bomb. I like to make it in its simplest form, with grated sharp cheddar cheese, pimentos, mayo, salt & pepper and a healthy sprinkling of cayenne. Serve with triscuits and be transported back South.

posted by misswhisk on June 11th 2008 at 12:04pm
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I loooove homemade pimiento cheese and it's so easy to make. Far better than the tub of preservative laden crap you get from the grocery store.

posted by verily on June 11th 2008 at 12:05pm
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That looks totally yummy!!

posted by Khürt Williams on June 11th 2008 at 1:14pm
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Being a northerner, I was not familiar with pimento cheese until I saw an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network. They visited the Penguin Diner in North Carolina and the pimento cheese grilled cheese looked so good that I ran out and bought supplies to make it and I have to say, it is one of my new favorite snacks. I make mine with a one pound block of cheddar, a half pound block of monterrey jack, two small jars of pimento with the juice, garlic powder, onion powder, organic mayonnaise, black pepper and some Frank's Red Hot. All of this goes in the food processor to make a paste that then goes into the fridge to chill out for a bit.

Yesterday I was searching for a snack and couldn't find anything substantial enough to satisfy and I wasn't looking for a full meal. Looking through the fridge I found a slice of panchetta and the pimento cheese and proceeded to make a really great grilled cheese sandwich.

I fried up the panchetta so it was crispy and rendered some of the fat into the pan, then I put the panchetta on some white bread with pimento cheese and fried it up in the pan to make an excelled panchetta and pimento grilled cheese sandwich.

Highly recommended.

posted by LongIslandFoodie on June 12th 2008 at 6:28am
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I like it with horseradish (about a tablespoon) and bacon (4 crisp strips). That's the amount for 8 oz cheddar.

posted by Leisureguy on June 12th 2008 at 7:34am
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I have to say (and I'm a southerner), I've never seen that fine a texture for pimento cheese. In my experience it has never been served as a puree. My family makes theirs much like misswhisk, but with a couple of modifications.

Here's ours: big block of Cabot's white cheddar cheese, grated in food processor or by hand; 1 roasted red pepper, cut into dice; 1 Tb. grated onion (more or less depending on preference); tons of fresh cracked black pepper and a dash cayenne; tiny bit of good mayo (like Hellman's). Only enough mayo to barely hold it together. Triscuits or fresh veggies are the perfect accompaniment, or make into finger sandwiches, preferably on wheat bread.

Related, but not the same is Kentucky beer cheese, which is finely processed. Here is a not very authentic (thankfully free of processed cheese), but good, version: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/kentucky-beer-cheese-on-toast

posted by lotusmoss on June 10th 2009 at 12:09pm
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The real kind is like my favorite aunt always made for church picnics, on white bread triangles with the crusts cut off, with orange cheddar, jar pimento, mayonnaise and if you want to get fancy, some cream cheese. Shred the cheese in a grater.

posted by Kate (NC) on June 10th 2009 at 9:16pm
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I made this last week. I've always had the store-bought stuff and it always left a lot to be desired. This was fantastic! Thank you for sharing the recipe.

posted by gnomette on June 23rd 2009 at 1:32pm
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