SOUTHERN STYLE PIMENTO CHEESE

I do not know if you have ever heard of pimento cheese but in my neck of the woods, it is one of the best spreads for a sandwich.  Oh yeah, it is a simple but good ole thing here in the South.  

I think I have loved pimento cheese since birth.  Well, it sure does seem like it.  I have never really given it much thought.  I mean it is sharp cheddar cheese shredded, mayo, chopped pimentos, and a few spices and voila you have it.  However, I have heard many people that are not from the South think it is a very weird combination.  I guess it is if you did not grow up on it.  Here in the South, it is a tradition.  It is simply delicious.  Oh me, oh my, it is mmm mmm good.  

Before making homemade pimento cheese, I was rather picky about which brand I would buy.  Since I was the one I would buy was not cheap.  I never could understand why it was so expensive until I started making it myself.  I figured out why it was so costly when I went to buy the ingredients.  Cheese, mayo, and pimentos are not cheap.  I already have the spices on hand so I did not have to buy them but cayenne pepper and paprika are not cheap either.

Once you start making homemade pimento cheese you will NEVER want to buy it in the store again.  The trick is to make sure you buy sharp cheddar.  I mean the real cheese not processed or cheese foodstuff.  You need real cheese.  I prefer a block of sharp and a block of extra sharp cheddar. You also have to have the pimentos.  Pimentos are essential in the recipe because they help give it the flavor.  Pimentos are a type of red pepper that has been seeded and processed canned.  They are sweet not hot.  

I do not go too crazy with my pimento cheese but you can add all kind of stuff if you wish but if you want the taste of the South you want to be pretty basic in your recipe.

You need 2-16 ounce blocks of cheese.  Again I prefer sharp and a block of extra sharp.  You need to shred your cheese but do not shred it finely.  You want it shredded on the biggest part of your of your grater.  I use a box grater.  

Combine mayonnaise with the shredded cheese.

Rinse and chop a small jar of pimentos. Add them to the cheese mix.

Add cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Mix well.

PIMENTO CHEESE

Ingredients

• 2 pounds sharp cheddar cheese 
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
•  1 small jar of pimentos
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Shred the cheese and put into a bowl.
• Add mayonnaise and mix into cheese.
• Rinse, drain, and chop pimentos.  Add and combine with the cheese mixture.
• Add cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  
• Combine well and allow to sit in the fridge at least 24 hours.

About the only thing I will mix into my pimento cheese spread is jalapenos.

I like to do that to add some heat and it also makes for a great warm dip this way. 

Here is a fun fact for you.  Pimento cheese did not start in the South.  It started in New York.  In the 1870's farmers in New York was making cheese that was the root of cream cheese.  They mixed this cheese with pimentos and this is how it started.  Some recipes have you use a pound of cheddar and a pack of cream cheese.  I prefer all cheddar cheese.  Click here for a great history about Pimento cheese.  

ENJOY!!