1 Mustard, mayo, roasted peppers, and smoked paprika - part of the line-up for pimiento cheese.
2 Extra-sharp and seriously sharp cheddar, cream cheese, green Spanish olives, and Worcestershire. Pimento cheese, here we come.
3 And now, grate the cheese.
4 Using the widest holes of a box grater, Monty grates some extra-sharp cheddar.
5 Grated cheese combo.
6 Cream cheese and two cheddars in a bowl, and now the mayo.
7 And now a little mustard.
8 We couldn't get a hold of diced pimentos so they must be diced by hand.
9 Both Monty and Shavon decided to chop up some olives for their pimento cheeses.
10 Shavon's pimento cheese mixture.
11 Shavon's pimento cheese all mixed up.
12 Monty's pimento cheese all mixed up.
13 And it's delcious on a sandwich.
14 Shavon's pimento cheese sandwich.
15 Monty's pimento cheese sandwich.
Many Southern women (and probably some men too) pride themselves on their pimento cheese. Today, Monty and Shavon are trying their hands at it in another installment in our in-studio, How-To series.
And what exactly is pimento cheese? It's basically a mix of cheese (usually Cheddar), jarred diced pimentos (think roasted red peppers), a little onion, Worcestershire sauce, mayo and after that it really is up to the individual. Even the amount of mayo isn't written in stone-- you can make it as thick or as wet as you like. Two recipes follow, one for a basic pimento cheese and a second with the addition of cream cheese.
Once the basics were made, Monty and Shavon got to play with add-ons: toasted pecans, olives, jalapeno pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Certainly not all of the add-ins in one batch, but some. Both Monty and Shavon opted for the green olives and while the mustard was optional, that too made it into both. Once done, all that was needed was some thick slabs of bread, a sunny porch to sit on while enjoying the spread, and a tall glass of iced tea.
Basic Pimiento Cheese # 1
Ingredients
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated on large holes of box grater
1/2 cup mayo
1 jar (2 ounces) diced pimentos, drained, reserve liquid
1 to 2 teaspoons grated onion
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 to 2 teaspoons mustard, optional
Combine all ingredients plus mustard, if using, and mix with a spatula. If mixture seems a little dry, add a little of the reserved pimiento liquid.
Basic Pimiento Cheese # 2
Ingredients
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated on box grater
1/4 to 1/3 cup mayo
1 jar (2 ounces) diced pimientos, drained, reserve liquid
1 to 2 teaspoons grated onion
1 to 2 teaspoons mustard, optional
Place cream cheese in a bowl and mash with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to soften. Add remaining ingredients plus mustard, if using, and mix to combine. You can choose to use either 1/4 or 1/3 cup of mayo-- whatever you prefer. If mixture seems a little dry, add a little of the reserved pimiento liquid.
From: Avalina | 4/2/11 at 5:20 pm
Well I must admit I never did make pimento cheese before but this recipe # 1 looked so easy I had to try it today. What a success! My boyfriend loved it on toast and wants it more often.
Thanks for the good tip!
From: Mari-Lynne Infantino | 4/3/11 at 3:49 pm
This was so excellent - I made it for a get together on Sunday afternoon and everyone loved it. Thanks!
From: sandy gluck | 4/4/11 at 6:55 am
Avalina and Mari-Lynne I'm delighted that it worked out so well.