Pimento cheese spread, a Southern comfort food, is so ingrained as a product of the South, that pimento cheese sandwiches are served each year at the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. Pimento cheese actually was developed by a Northern food manufacturer along with cookbook writers during the "Domestic Science" movement in the late 1800s. Still, the South claims pimento cheese as its own. This may be because Georgia was the leading producer of the sweet pimento peppers used to give the spread its flavor and color from 1911 until the 1960s. More than a sandwich filling, try serving the spread on celery or crackers or adding it to grits, baked potatoes and hamburgers.
Step 1
Grate cheddar cheese and pepper jack cheese.
Step 2
Mix cheeses together in a bowl.
Step 3
Add minced garlic to the cheese.
Step 4
Dice two medium dill pickles and mix thoroughly into the cheese mixture.
Step 5
Add 1/2 to 2/3 cup of mayonnaise and pimentos to the cheese mixture, adding pepper to taste.
Step 6
Cover and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.
Tips and Warnings
- Substitute low-fat cheese and mayonnaise to create a healthier dish. The pimento pepper contains vitamins A and C.
Things You'll Need
- 1 lb. cheddar cheese
- 1/2 lb. pepper jack cheese
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 2 medium dill pickles
- Mayonnaise
- Jar (4 oz.) diced pimentos
- Pepper
References
- Food Network.com; Pimento Cheese; Greg Auten
- NPR; Pimento Cheese: It's a Southern Thing; Wright Bryan; January 2007
- University of Florida IFAS Extension; Pepper, Pimiento -- Capsicum annuum L.; James M. Stephens
- Arizona Cooperative Extension; Calcium and Calorie Content of Selected Foods; Vanessa A. Farrell, Linda Houtkooper; January 2011
- "500 Low-Carb Recipes"; Dana Carpender; 2002
- The Augusta Chronicle; Pimento on White; Alisa DeMao, Amy Joyner; April 1998
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