Mom Dads Classic Pimento Cheese Food

PIMENTO CHEESE RECIPE

Steps:

• Place the cheese in a mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl, combine diced pimentos (with their juice) and mayonnaise. Add to the cheese, toss to combine, and season with salt and pepper.
• Serve as a dip with fresh vegetables, spread on bread as a sandwich, or on top of crackers.

PIMENTO CHEESE

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the cheddar, cream cheese, pimento peppers, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper and jalapeño (if using), and several twists of black pepper.
• Beat the mixture together with a hand mixer, your stand mixer, or by hand with a sturdy wooden spoon or spatula. Beat until the mixture is thoroughly combined.
• Taste, and add more black pepper if desired, and/or salt for more overall flavor (I usually add a pinch of two). If you'd like your pimento cheese to have more of a kick, add another pinch of cayenne. Blend again.
• Transfer the mixture to a smaller serving bowl. Serve your pimento cheese immediately, or chill it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Pimento cheese hardens as it cools; let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature to soften.

MOM'S PIMENTO CHEESE

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together with a mixer until light and fluffy.
• More or less mayo may be needed to make it spreading consistency.
• Refrigerate overnight to let the flavors blend.

OUR FAVORITE PIMENTO CHEESE

Steps:

• Make the mayo mixture. In a large bowl, stir together mayonnaise, diced pimiento, Worcestershire sauce, grated onion, and ground red pepper until blended.
• Toast the pecans. Toasting brings out the rich flavor of the nuts. Preheat your oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. (Stirring helps to ensure even browning.)
• Shred the cheese. Trust us - texture matters. Using the small side of a box grater, finely shred extra-sharp Cheddar cheese. Then use the large side of the grater to coarsely shred sharp Cheddar cheese. Fresh cheese makes a difference.
• Stir and enjoy. Add pecans and shredded cheeses to mayo mixture, stirring until blended. You can store it in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Serve with celery sticks and assorted crackers, or make a grilled pimento cheese sandwich in a skillet or panini press.

HOMEMADE PIEMENTO CHEESE

Steps:

• If using Velveeta, put the cheese through a food chopper or use food processor to grind up the cheese. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Enjoy!
• Note: I stuffed some celery with it. If you don't have sharp cheddar on hand, use a 1/4 tsp (or a dot more) of cayenne pepper. When serving on white bread, consider grilling it like a grilled cheese sandwich.

PIMIENTO CHEESE SPREAD

Steps:

• Place the drained pimientos in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Using an electric mixer, combine the pimientos and cheese, beating until smooth. Beat in the mayonnaise. Spread on slices of white sandwich bread while the mixture is room temperature. Trim the bread crusts and cut the sandwiches into triangles.

MOM & DAD'S CLASSIC PIMENTO CHEESE

Steps:

• Stir together the first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Using the largest holes (6mm) of a 4-sided box grater, grate the cheese into a large bowl. Pour the dressing mixture over the grated cheese and throrougly combine using spatulas or spoons. Cover and chill overnight to allow flavor to develop and the pimento cheese to firm up. Note: This makes 2.5 lbs., about 20 generous 2-oz. servings. (Commercial pimento cheese designates a serving as 1 ounce. Silly!)