GEASONED PIMENTO CHEESE SPREAD
Yield = 3 cups; Prep: 10 minutes; Standing time: 1 hour (if you can wait that long!)
My mother LOVED pimento cheese sandwiches!! I had a very strong dislike for this humble Southern staple of old. That all changed when I was blessed enough to taste it at Augusta National during the week of The Masters. Per tradition I had to get a Pimento Cheese Sandwich and a beer which came in a souvenir cup. (My husband and I still have a stack of these over a decade later!) Savoring my first bite I remember thinking: “So THIS is what Pimento Cheese Spread should taste like!” I thoroughly enjoyed three of those tasty sandwiches that day. (As did Greg, Webb & Bonnie -- Cheers to you all!!)
Yield = 3 cups; Prep: 10 minutes; Standing time: 1 hour (if you can wait that long!)
My mother LOVED pimento cheese sandwiches!! I had a very strong dislike for this humble Southern staple of old. That all changed when I was blessed enough to taste it at Augusta National during the week of The Masters. Per tradition I had to get a Pimento Cheese Sandwich and a beer which came in a souvenir cup. (My husband and I still have a stack of these over a decade later!) Savoring my first bite I remember thinking: “So THIS is what Pimento Cheese Spread should taste like!” I thoroughly enjoyed three of those tasty sandwiches that day. (As did Greg, Webb & Bonnie -- Cheers to you all!!)
Here is my shot at honoring my Mom and the delicacy of common ingredients served at Augusta National. (I am sure I have more ingredients than theirs, but I am not trying to recreate perfection, only make a spread my family will enjoy!) Serve with an iced 'Arnold Palmer' (half iced tea & half lemonade) or an ice-cold American lager.
3 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded (divided) *I used yellow, but white cheese will taste great, but will not look the same! My cheese was finely shredded, mainly for textural preference!
8 oz cream cheese (1/3rd less fat), softened
½ cup light mayonnaise
1 ½ tsp Geasoning OR a combination of salt & pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
Cayenne pepper, a pinch or so
Worcestershire sauce, a shake or two
Hot sauce, a shot or two (optional)
2 sweet red peppers - roasted, seed, peeled & finely chopped OR 1 (4 ounce) jar chopped pimento peppers, drained
Mix the all the ingredients together until well-incorporated. (I used a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment – beaten about 4 minutes total and scraped down 2 or 3 times.) Cover and place in the refrigerator at least 1 hour to chill and let the flavors marry. Taste and re-season if desired. Usually served on soft white bread, but this is your sandwich -- knock yourself out!!
3 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded (divided) *I used yellow, but white cheese will taste great, but will not look the same! My cheese was finely shredded, mainly for textural preference!
8 oz cream cheese (1/3rd less fat), softened
½ cup light mayonnaise
1 ½ tsp Geasoning OR a combination of salt & pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
Cayenne pepper, a pinch or so
Worcestershire sauce, a shake or two
Hot sauce, a shot or two (optional)
2 sweet red peppers - roasted, seed, peeled & finely chopped OR 1 (4 ounce) jar chopped pimento peppers, drained
Mix the all the ingredients together until well-incorporated. (I used a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment – beaten about 4 minutes total and scraped down 2 or 3 times.) Cover and place in the refrigerator at least 1 hour to chill and let the flavors marry. Taste and re-season if desired. Usually served on soft white bread, but this is your sandwich -- knock yourself out!!
This is also traditionally served as a cracker spread, stuffed in celery and in the middle of grilled sandwich (although this application is quite messy). The Vortex, a great burger joint in Altanta used to serve Pimento Cheese a top one of their awesome burgers. Husband Greg and I were chatting about other uses for this tasty spread: to intensify a BLT (in lieu of the mayonnaise); stuffed in jalapeños for “poppers,” as a base for shrimp spread/crab dip; or as a replacement for plain cream cheese in some sushi rolls… *Let me know what do you do with it! --Courtesy Sabryna Roberson, The Traveling Culinarian – April 2012.
Helpful Links:
The Masters (Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, GA) - http://www.masters.com/index.html
The Vortex Bar & Grill (Atlanta, GA) - http://www.thevortexbarandgrill.com
