Tuesday, October 5, 2010

pimento cheese y'all...

White Bread's Best Friend!
Ever caught a strange food craving from a friend? A few years ago a friend of mine was having fearsome fitful cravings for pimento cheese. Couldn't get enough of it. Soon, the contagion spread and vast tubs of pimento cheese were being consumed on the Lonesome Road as well.

Alarmed by many of the unpronounceable ingredients in many brands of store-bought pimento cheese, I began to research recipes for this food of the cheese gods and discovered that it is amazingly simple. And, it's one of those preparations that tastes so much better when homemade. Plus you can control the fat content by using low-fat dairy products. Well, sort of.

Of course, the classic accompaniment to pimento cheese is white bread but I do like it heaped (too high) on stone-ground wheat crackers as well. Pimento cheese is really very subtle and mild, it combines best with flavors that aren't too assertive (no chicken and biscuit-flavored crackers, please). The amount of onion and garlic powders in the recipe can vary according to taste; personally I like to taste cheese, with a little extra seasoning.

And by the way, my pimento cheese-loving friend is partnering to open an online shop full of delightful accessories for young girls - check for Herding Turtles on Etsy soon!

ingredients:
  • 8 ounces low-fat Neufchatel cheese
  • 8 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise (substitute half sour cream if you like)
  • 8 ounce jar of diced pimentos, well-drained
  • 3/4 teaspoon onion powder, more or less to taste
  • 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder, more or less to taste
  • 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine ingredients thoroughly; check seasonings and adjust to your taste.
And, try not to eat it all at one sitting.

3 comments:

Bridget said...

Thanks for sharing. I've been living in the south for 5+ yrs now. I see pimento cheese in the stores but have not tried it. It's not something we had in NY. I'll give your recipe a whirl one of these days, rather than buy the tub at the store.

Lonesome Road Studio said...

It's one of my favorites, and very easy to make!
Thanks for stopping by!

Stephanie said...

Yum!!! That looks amazing!

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