Pimeno Cheese affectionately called by Southerners was the first food to earn permanent status in my Southern Kitchen Larder. This is where I hope to highlight the important foods and ingredients for Southern cooking. As I learn and discover they will be featured here along with any sources. Hopefully you will find this useful and come by often to see what’s new in the kitchen.

I know I’ve talked about Pimento Cheese & Pimento Cheese Toasts before; Pimento Cheese is what stuck in my head for days and lead me to A Yankee in a Southern Kitchen. After making it for these last few months, it is still stuck in my head and unfortunately on my hips as well.

Is it worth it? You bet it is. I keep a crock of this truly Southern staple in my refrigerator at all times. My only regret is that I don’t have childhood memories of this mighty fine food along with an heirloom recipe to go with. Now all I can do is hopefully start a tradition that my daughters will keep alive and their children will be blessed with the memories.

This recipe works for me for many reasons, and I am sticking with it without plans to change it. If you are from the South then you know what I am talking about when I say this food goes down as one of the best to come out a Southern Kitchen. If you don’t know what I am talking about, you need to try this so you will understand. You will also regret that you were deprived of Pimento Cheese for all these years.

First, you will find many ways to make this including coming down to how the cheese is grated. I like a combination of a coarse and fine grate and do this with both the white and yellow cheddar. I also like roasted red peppers in the jar. I like some of the black skin flecks from the roasted peppers to make there way into my Pimento Cheese. If you don’t want to make mayonnaise use either Hellman’s or Dukes brand.

Pimento Cheese Spread

Adapted from The Gift of Southern Cooking, Scott Peacock and Edna Lewis

12 oz each of a good White Cheddar & Yellow Cheddar (sharp and/or extra sharp)

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 cup finely diced bottled roasted red peppers

3/4 cup mayonnaise preferably homemade

Good crackers or toasted French bread to go with this.

Grate 1/2 of each of the cheeses on the coarse side of the grater. Grate remaining cheese on the fine side of grater. Mix together in a large bowl.

Pat dry the pimentos, removing any seeds. Finely dice them and add to cheese mixture. Stir in mayonnaise and cayenne pepper to taste. Then add salt & pepper to taste.

Chill for an hour or so, this keeps the mixture from running off the toast when broiled.

If you want, you can spread this on French bread rounds and run under the broiler till hot and bubbly. Oh my gosh you won’t believe how good it is going to be.

You may halve the recipe, but why bother as it keeps for a week to 10 days, if it lasts that long.