Pimento cheese
Sharp cheddar, roasted pepper and mayonnaise spread
Pimento cheese is the 'caviar of the South', sold in tubs in every Carolina supermarket and spread in white-bread sandwiches at the Masters golf tournament in Augusta. Grated sharp cheddar, sweet red pimento peppers and mayonnaise are mashed together with a little heat, and it ends up on crackers, celery, burgers and fried green tomatoes. Traditional cheddar is made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian cheddar if you need to. Chef's tip: grate the cheese yourself; pre-grated cheese is coated in starch and makes a dry, grainy spread.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz extra-mature cheddar (vegetarian if needed)finely grated
- 4 oz roasted red peppers or pimentos from a jardrained and finely chopped
- 4 oz mayonnaise
- 1 ¾ oz cream cheesesoft
- 1 tbsp oniongrated
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp hot pepper sauceopt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
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What you'll need
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Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Beat the 4 oz mayonnaise and 1 ¾ oz cream cheese together until smooth.
2 minStep 2: Add the 10 ½ oz extra-mature cheddar (vegetarian if needed), 4 oz roasted red peppers or pimentos from a jar, 1 tbsp onion, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp hot pepper sauce and ¼ tsp black pepper and mash with a fork until well mixed but still chunky. A common mistake is blending it to a paste; it should have texture.
3 minStep 3: Chill for at least 1 hour so the flavours meld. Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pimento cheese take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of extra-mature cheddar (vegetarian if needed)?
- Any hard cheese, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cream cheese?
- Mascarpone, same amount.
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