You haven’t lived until you’ve had a pimento grilled cheese sandwich. Here are a few classic serving ideas: Pimento Cheese Sandwiches Don’t mix it up in a food processor, since pimento cheese is best when the individual ingredients retain some texture. I use my hand mixer to beat the ingredients together, which yields a nice, lightly fluffy texture. You essentially just need to stir the ingredients together until combined. Pimento cheese is super easy to make, and ready in 10 minutes. You can always add more heat, but you can’t take it away. If you’re sensitive to spice, you can reduce or omit both the cayenne and jalapeño.
Take it up a notch with fresh jalapeño pepper, which adds seriously fresh flavor and a light crunch. The heat is subtle but makes me go back for more. I like my pimento cheese a little spicy, so my recipe includes cayenne pepper as well. A combination of garlic powder and onion powder lend subtle and irresistible savoriness.
Pimento cheese flavorings vary by recipe. I used Sir Kensington’s instead, since that’s the brand I keep on hand. If we weren’t using cream cheese, we’d make up for it with additional mayonnaise, but I’ve found that a combination of the two yields the tastiest results.ĭuke’s brand of mayonnaise is standard in Southern pimento cheese. Mayonnaise lends a silky texture and some key flavor. I used jarred peppers for my recipe tests, but you could go the extra mile and roast your own peppers. Chop them up until you have a scant one-half cup. If you can’t find pimento peppers, roasted red peppers are a great substitute. Be sure to drain your peppers well, and give them a few extra chops if they come in slices rather than a tiny dice. They infuse the dip with mild pepper flavor and provide its signature reddish hue. If you read Serious Eats’ lengthy history on pimento cheese, you’ll see that cream cheese and pimentos have been friends for a long time. I’d bet money that Mimi’s pimento cheese was made with cream cheese. Not all pimento cheese recipes include cream cheese, but it just doesn’t taste right to me without it. Cream CheeseĬream cheese enhances the cheddar flavor and ensures that your pimento cheese is tangy and spreadable. Don’t buy pre-shredded cheese, which is coated in powder that mutes the flavor and interferes with its creamy texture. Grate your cheese by hand on the large holes of a box grater. Extra-Sharp Cheddar Cheeseīe sure to buy a delicious extra-sharp variety so the cheddar flavor shines above all else. By making it yourself with quality ingredients, you can avoid strange preservatives. In its most essential form, pimento cheese is made with cheddar cheese, pimento peppers and mayonnaise.įreshly made, homemade pimento cheese tastes far superior to store-bought options. Pimento peppers are the only common ingredient.
If you’re from the Midwest, rest assured that pimento cheese has nothing to do with pimento loaf. You might recognize them as the little red peppers stuffed inside green olives. Pimento peppers are even more mild than red bell peppers. They’re often called cherry peppers when you find them sold fresh in grocery stores. Pimento (also spelled pimiento) peppers are small red peppers that are not at all spicy. So, I came up with my own pimento cheese recipe. I got lost in nostalgia and found my great-aunt’s Jell-o cucumber salad recipe, but not Mimi’s pimento cheese. I tried to find Mimi’s recipe in her handwritten recipe books, which are among my treasured possessions, along with her ring that I’m wearing on my left hand. I order pimento cheese every time I find it on a menu, which to my delight, seems to be happening more frequently these days. I was a picky eater back then, but at least I had the good sense to appreciate her pimento cheese. My grandmother, Mimi, made pimento cheese when I was little. If you appreciate cheddar cheese, pimento cheese is going to be your new favorite party dip and sandwich spread. Pimento cheese is creamy and cheesy, tangy, peppery (spicy if you wish), and spreadable. It’s affectionately referred to as “pâté du Sud,” or Southern pâté. Pimento cheese is a classic Southern cheddar cheese and pimento pepper dip. If you’re not from the South, you might be wondering, “What is pimento cheese?”
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