Pimiento cheese has often been called “the pate of the South.”
Mama always had homemade pimiento cheese in our refrigerator — she still does. My favorite vessel for this delicacy is stuffed inside a rib of celery. My husband likes it with crackers. Nobody ever turns down a pimiento cheese sandwich. Toast that sandwich, and serve it with a bowl of soup for a yummy meal.
I’ve seen containers of premade pimiento cheese at the grocery store but have never purchased any. My son told me once that he had bought some and that it wasn’t as good as mine. I told him I hoped nobody saw him buying pimiento cheese. It would shame the family!
Pimiento cheese is good for everything from fishing trips to funerals. The first pimiento cheese was made with a blend of cream cheese and diced pimiento peppers. With the onset of World War I, it was an inexpensive spread for sandwiches. The spread eventually morphed into a mixture of hoop or “rat cheese,” canned pimiento peppers and mayonnaise. Pimiento cheese has come a long way over the last 100 years. It is the South’s caviar.
Today’s recipes are pimiento cheese-based. I hope you will give them a try. Thanks for reading.
GREEN CHILE PIMIENTO CHEESE
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
½ cup mayonnaise
2 minced garlic cloves
2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 (4-ounce) jars diced pimiento, drained
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
Mix first four ingredients together until smooth. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and chill for at least eight hours, but best overnight. Serve with assortment of vegetables or your favorite crackers.
BAKED TEX-MEX PIMIENTO CHEESE DIP
1½ cups mayonnaise
½ (12-ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped
¼ cup chopped green onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 (8-ounce) block extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (8-ounce) block pepper Jack cheese, shredded
Garnish: fresh cilantro leaves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together first four ingredients in a large bowl, and stir in cheeses. Spoon into a lightly greased baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until dip is golden and bubbly. Garnish, if desired, and serve with your favorite chip or cracker.
PIMIENTO CHEESE BEER BREAD
3 cups self-rising flour
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1 tablespoon
¼ cup sugar
1½ teaspoons onion powder
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4-ounce jar diced pimiento, well drained
1 (12-ounce) bottle light beer
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Butter a 9-by-5-by-4-inch loaf pan, and set aside. Mix together flour, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, sugar and spices. Add 2 cups of the cheese and pimiento; toss together with a fork. Make a well in the center, and add half of the melted butter. Add the beer in thirds, and work into flour as you go. Spread the batter evenly in the loaf pan. Cover and allow to rest in a warm place for an hour. After that hour, uncover and brush with remaining butter. Sprinkle with remaining grated cheese, and 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven tor 35 to 45 minutes. Check the center of the bread with a toothpick. Cool and slice with a serrated knife.
• Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
