Pimento cheese is sometimes referred to as the "pâté of the south" and/or the "caviar of the South". While it is certainly both of those things, it is also - simply put - my favorite food. As such, I'm excited to share the most popular dish that comes out of my kitchen (hands down!) with you today: my Southern Pimento Cheese Recipe! I always joke that it's "Better Than MeeMaw's" -- but don't tell her that... she'll be awfully offended!
Southern Pimento Cheese Recipe
Photo Credit: JCP Eats
Ingredients
- 1 c Monterey Jack shredded/freshly grated
- 1 c Sharp Cheddar shredded/freshly grated
- 1 c Parmesan Cheese shredded/freshly grated
- 3/4 c Mayonnaise
- 4 oz Cream Cheese
- 6 tbsp Diced Pimentos
- 2 tbsp Minced Onion
- 4 tbsp Vidalia Onion grated
- Garlic Powder to taste
- Kosher Salt to taste
- Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix until well-incorporated. I typically make mine in my stand mixer!
- Add more kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to your desired taste. If the pimento cheese is too thick, slowly add more mayonnaise.
- Serve on a croissant or artisan bread with lettuce.Enjoy!
About Pimento Cheese & The Mayonnaise Debate
According to Southern Kitchen, "the earliest home recipes were a mix of grated hoop or “rat” cheese, the cheddar-type sold at country stores, along with canned pimento peppers and mayonnaise, either homemade or one of the new store brands. There was Hellman’s, born in 1905 and popular in much of the upper South, specifically Kentucky and Tennessee. Duke’s was the regional brand of South Carolina. In fact, founder Eugenia Duke sold pimento cheese sandwiches to soldiers at Camp Sevier near Greenville, South Carolina, before she sold her mayonnaise in 1917."
JC's note: While I am from the upper South (Kentucky), I am team Duke's. Duke's is the "southerner's mayonnaise" and I find both the taste and the quality to be exemplary.
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