Pimento Cheese
You guys! I’ve been holding out on you. I had the most amazing pimento cheese at a Christmas party last weekend, and although I haven’t had or made it in years, it was like a rebirth into the world of pimento cheese. I had forgotten how much I love its intensely cheesy, mayo-y, briny deliciousness.
I immediately requested the recipe from the friend who had brought it, who had found it on the conversation thread of a makeup tutorial YouTube channel she frequents. Ah, the internet. Remember when you got recipes from your neighbours and small collection of cookbooks, or clipped it out of the newspaper? So this particular pimento cheese came from a woman who got it from her southern mother – pimento cheese is a southern thing, not surprisingly from the same era as the cheese ball. At its core, it’s extra-aged cheddar and mayo, with a hit of spice in the form of cayenne or chili flakes. I instantly asked my Facebook crowd if anyone made this and had their own formula, and someone pointed out that Dorie Greenspan’s latest cookbook, Everyday Dorie, which was happily sitting on my desk, contained a recipe for pimento cheese. And so the next morning, before I had digested the excessive quantities of pimento cheese I had consumed the night before, I set about making two batches – Dorie’s and Tara’s internet friend’s mother’s – for a little taste test.
Pimentos are mild peppers – you may know them as those little red bits stuffed into manzanilla olives – and you can buy them by the jar alongside the pickles at most grocery stores. Most recipes for pimento cheese call for a combination of old and extra-old cheddar, and there are often specifics about the grating/grinding process. Dorie blitzes hers in the food processor, which is ridiculously easy, and I love the shade of orange it produces. Hers is ridiculously simple – cheese, pimentos, a bit of mayo, cayenne and salt. It’s superb. Tara’s friend’s mom’s is more complex – the ratio of cheese to pimentos is similar (10 oz vs 16 oz), but it calls for 1 1/2 cups of mayo (to Dorie’s 3 Tbsp), along with a teaspoon of grated onion (just a bit! I love old dip and spread recipes that call for such a miniscule amount), a shot of Worcestershire, toasted pecans and chili flakes. The cheese grating process is specific: the coarse holes of the box grater for the old cheddar, and the smaller holes for the extra-old, which produces a finer almost paste similar to what you’d get in the food processor. Her formula is thus: 8 oz extra old cheddar (grated with the small holes on the box grater), 8 oz old cheddar (grated with the regular holes), a 4 oz jar diced pimentos (drained), 1 1/2 cups mayo, 1 tsp finely grated onion, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp crushed red chillies 1 cup pecans, lightly toasted and chopped. Mix it all and refrigerate.
I brought both to another party that night, and for a long time the two were neck and neck – everyone loved both (except, hilariously, a friend who actually grew up in the southern states and hates pimento cheese – I was counting on her authority!) – but as the evening grew later, Tara’s friend’s mom’s started to take the lead. Honestly, I’d make both – Dorie’s is so simple, and I like doing it all in the food processor. Tara’s friend’s mom’s is so delicious. But next time I make it, I’ll likely morph the two: not worry so much about the ratio of extra old to old cheddar, leaning toward more of the extra old, go somewhere in the middle for mayo (1/2 cup? 3/4?), a 4 1/2 oz jar of pimentos because that seems to be the standard size they come in around here, and add a bit of onion and Worcestershire if I feel like it. I did like the cayenne better than the chili flakes, but mine wasn’t as hot as Tara’s batch, so it depends on what you happen to have in your spice drawer. The pecans were delicious, and remind me of another vintage cheese dip my mom makes every Christmas, but pecans are pricey – I think I’d add half next time if I used them at all. (I did some videos over on Instagram stories, if a visual would help here.)
At any rate, I’m excited to be reunited with pimento cheese. I spread some inside a grilled cheese sandwich earlier this week, and it was mind-blowing. It’s also the easiest thing to make ahead to bring to parties, or have tucked away for your own. Thanks for the reminder, Tara and Dorie!
Dorie’s Pimento Cheese
AuthorJuliePress the pimentos between paper towels to absorb any excess moisture. Cut them into a few pieces if they're whole. (It seems the ones available in Canada are most often chopped.) If you're using block cheese, cut it into chunks.
Combine the cheeses and pimentos in a food processor and pulse a few times to begin chopping them. Add the mayo, salt and cayenne and process until the mixture has the texture of tiny-curd cottage cheese, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. If you'd like to process it further, it will be more like a spread, and that's fine.
Scrape into a crock, bowl or jar and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Makes about 2 cups.
Ingredients
Directions
Press the pimentos between paper towels to absorb any excess moisture. Cut them into a few pieces if they're whole. (It seems the ones available in Canada are most often chopped.) If you're using block cheese, cut it into chunks.
Combine the cheeses and pimentos in a food processor and pulse a few times to begin chopping them. Add the mayo, salt and cayenne and process until the mixture has the texture of tiny-curd cottage cheese, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. If you'd like to process it further, it will be more like a spread, and that's fine.
Scrape into a crock, bowl or jar and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Makes about 2 cups.
I worked at a cafe in the 80’s and she made this into a spicy cheddar sandwich with cucumbers on amazing molasses whole wheat bread. I always buy a loaf when I am in Regina and recreate it. It was so delicious. I haven’t done it for ages, maybe I will make it for Christmas. Thanks!
Would you please post the recipe for molasses whole wheat bread? Thank you very much.
Thank you! I saw your Instagram post last week and my fingers were crossed that you would post the recipe soon:)
Julie! You did it again! I didn’t even know I was missing pimiento cheese, but I was. I remember a couple of Christmas parties when I ate waaay more than my share because it’s so delicious. Then it disappeared and I forgot about it until I saw your amazing post. THANK YOU for the memories and for the opportunity to create more. Also, thank you for all the time, effort and love you pour into Dinner With Julie, your FaceBook posts, recipes and appearances so the rest of us can have a bit of cooking magic in our lives. It’s amazing that you do this so generously. (I love you even though we’ve only hardly met a couple of times!) Merry Christmas!
This was so good. I added a bit of finely chopped onion and a dash of Worcestershire sauce for good luck. Magical on the 200 crackers I consumed last evening.
Made it for a party last night; ?. I like mine with more mayonnaise so I put in about half a cup. So good. Hmmm… i think the last few spoonfuls will be good on toast for breakfast this morning… brb
Made it for a party last night; ?. I like mine with more mayonnaise so I put in about half a cup. So good. Hmmm… i think the last few spoonfuls will be good on toast for breakfast this morning… brb
Yuuuummmm!
oooooh… brilliant!!
Just made this because it’s game day tomorrow and my friend invited us for ‘greasy food over pretending to watch the superbowl’. I used the Dorie recipe. I’m not sure I got my hands on real pimento, they only had jars of round red peppers in the store, advertised as ‘african peppers’. They have sugar added in the brine and are a bit spicy, so swapped the cayenne for a bit of smoked paprika and a dash of worcester. It’s currently sitting in the fridge and it’s going to be hard resisting it until tomorrow, it already tastes pretty good!
I was just wondering whether it was worth splurging on the more expensive farmhouse, 4-5 year aged cheddar for this type of recipe. I used a more generic brand, thinking the pimientos and worcester would bring enough of their own flavor anyways. What are your thoughts on this?
I’ve noticed a difference, yes.. I get the Tickler – an extra aged white cheddar that’s not too pricey.. a block the size I need for this is usually around $7? I figure it’s worth the occasional splurge!
I made this during the holidays and it was SO FANTASTIC! I tweaked Tara’s internet friend’s mother’s recipe as suggested, though I wish I had a food processor to make Dorie’s recipe as I love the colour it turns out. I used chili flakes because that is what I have in the pantry, but I would try again with cayenne for a more consistent heat throughout.
Thank you for sharing both recipes and your tweaks!!
Yay! I love it so much, any way that it’s made!
The first time I made pimento cheese all the grocery stores were out of the little jars of pimentos, so I used a couple of tablespoons of Portuguese sweet pimento paste I had in the fridge instead. It might be less authentic but I loved it and that’s what I use all the time now. My go-to recipe also has cream cheese in it and more seasonings (garlic powder, celery salt, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika and a few shots of Lousiana hot sauce. It’s insanely addictive.
I want you to thank for your time of this wonderful read!