Last weekend I finally made my own version of a true Southern classic.
Hubby came in and said, “so is it difficult to make?”
My reaction was to first giggle, then said, “Ummmm…no, the basic recipe is mayonnaise, pimentos and cheddar cheese.”
Hubby stopped, looked at me, and said, “WHAT? I thought there was a some rocket science to the recipe. Everyone makes is sound like it is SO hard to make.”
Me – “Nope, no rocket science, just simple, fun ingredients…..that are for sure NOT healthy!”
I was a kid when I was first introduced to pimento cheese. My mom would buy this “so called” pimento cheese that was in a jar in the grocery store. It was….REALLY gross! So all my life I thought pimento cheese was gross, boy was I missing out.
When we moved to the South, I was immediately introduced to homemade pimento cheese. My life has changed since I discovered this creamy dreamy happy treat. At most of your local restaurants in the South, they serve pimento and bacon grilled cheese sandwiches…..OH MY WORD…..Yum!!!! Now, for the last 2 years I was just buying homemade pimento cheese at the grocery stores. NOT that gross stuff in a jar, I mean homemade versions in the deli section. I have been meaning to make it, and had intentions to make it like four months ago. It was worth the wait though, I can tell you we will be making it more often now.
To decide what you want in your recipe, shake it up, and make it work with your palate. At the cafe where I worked as a pastry chef, they made pimento cheese. They used pepper jack cheese, and garlic, which are wonderful additions. Jalapeno is a common addition to homemade pimento cheese, you will see it in many of the homemade versions at the grocery stores.
- 8 oz Cabot Vermont cheddar cheese
- 8 oz Cabot yellow cheddar cheese
- 8 oz Cabot pepper jack cheese
- 1 Tbsp roasted jalapenos
- 2 small heads of garlic cloves, roasted
- 7 oz jar of pimentos, diced
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- salt and pepper optional
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place 1-2 jalapenos on a sheet pan, roast for about 20-30 minutes, or until softened. Remove skin, and dice the jalapenos. Sit aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap two small whole garlic in foil, or a garlic roaster, and roast in oven for about an hour. Remove cloves from skin, and sit aside.
- Grate cheese. Mix together cheese, diced jalapeno, roasted garlic, diced pimentos, mayonnaise, and salt & pepper to taste.
- Enjoy on crackers, grilled cheese with bacon, or by the spoonful!
NOW time for the giveaway details!!!! Who loves cheese as much as I do? Cheese pretty much ROCKS in everything, even apple pie believe it or not!
I am so excited for this fun giveaway!!! If you have not tried Cabot cheese yet, this a perfect way to try some of the many flavors they have to offer! What makes Cabot unique? Cabot Creamery is a 1,200 farm family dairy cooperative, which means they are owned and operated by their members, the farmers and their families. They have been around since 1919, and continue to grow and share the highest quality dairy products.
Cabot cheese has a wide variety of flavors, AND they are lactose-free….truly something for everyone! When you make pimento cheese, freshly grating up the cheese will give the pimento cheese a creamy texture. That is why Cabot cheese is perfect for this lovely recipe!
Mandatory entry below – leave a comment below, telling me your favorite variety of cheese, and how you like to cook/bake/prepare your favorite cheese.
Five other chances to enter this fun giveaway -
1. Follow me on Twitter at @CafeTerraBlog.
2. Follow @CabotRD and @CabotCoop on Twitter.
3. Follow me on Facebook at Cafe Terra.
4. Follow Cabot Creamery Cooperative on Facebook.
5. Subscribe to my Newsletter and stay up to date on what is happening at CafeTerraBlog, (enter on right side, just enter you email address.)
“Oh pimento cheese – I am sooooo happy you came into my life!!!!”
I believe I need to go replenish my container, my hubby and I couldn’t stop eating it. I did forget to dice up my pimentos, so we had big pieces in our pimento cheese. It is all about preference, you can dice them if you choose or not.
When we were watching Barbaque Addiction with Bobby Flay, he grilled red bell peppers, took skin off them, and diced them up for his pimento cheese. Another fun, fresh grilling idea for homemade pimento cheese! You can use the grilled red bell peppers instead of canned pimentos. Basically, canned pimentos are roasted red bell peppers.
Thank you so much Cabot Creamery Cooperative for this wonderful giveaway!!!
Good Luck Everyone, and I hope you enjoy the pimento cheese as much as we did!!!
Disclaimer – Cabot Creamery Cooperative provided the giveaway gift, all the thoughts are my own.
'><img alt='Show Sidebar' src='http://
images.thedailymeal.net/sites/all/themes/thedailymeal/images/TDM_ShowSideber.png){kind=link}