Pimento Cheese
About This Recipe
We always knew when it was a special occasion and that company would be coming for dinner when my mom would bring out the Kraft jar of pimento cheese. This orange creaminess of cheese would be used to stuff celery stalks for what we considered then to be a fancy-guest-worthy appetizer. Even now when I am feeling nostalgic I will reach for that iconic little jar and a stalk of celery and am transported back to my childhood kitchen on Oak Street. An added bonus of Kraft Pimento Cheese was that the washed out jars made for the perfect juice glass or flower bud vase.
And then I discovered what real pimento cheese tastes like, and I became a fan. Fresh and spicy with just a little heat from the hot sauce, it elevates anything that you spread it on. My favorite use of the cheese is making a grilled cheese with thinly sliced apples. On my recent trip to Louisville, Kentucky for the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Conference, I saw that this Southern favorite was on most restaurant menus in some form as either appetizer or entree. You can easily whip up a batch of pimento cheese for your next get together or just to enjoy in your own kitchen, no special company invite needed.
Ingredients & Instructions
8 oz container of whipped cream cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz jar diced pimentos
2-4 tbs of a good mayonnaise
2 tbsp hot sauce (to taste)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
Mix the cream cheese and cheddar cheese until thoroughly combined.
Add mayonnaise to taste for added creaminess of the mixture.
Add the onion and garlic powders.
Gently fold in the pimentos being careful not to smash the pimentos.
Stir in the hot sauce to taste.
Chill before serving.
Enjoy on sandwiches, burgers, tortilla chips, and crackers.
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