Everyone has a comfort food or foods from their childhood. For you it might be Eggo Waffles…or sausage gravy…or chicken and dumplings…or circus peanuts. You know, I have it on good authority that if you eat too many circus peanuts when you’re little, that you might not be able to even look at them 30 years later. Or so I hear from OTHER PEOPLE. *Cough* Maybe that’s how I can cure all my children from wanting candy – let them eat it until they puke. Yep – good plan.
But anyway, for me that food is Pimento Cheese. And I’m not talking about the goop from the store labeled “pimento cheese.” Blech! No sir. I mean, my Mama’s Pimento cheese. There are tons of homemade pimento cheese recipes out there, but I’m here to tell you that THIS is the best one. I’ve already blessed you all with several of my awesome Mama’s recipes: Mama’s Sausage Macaroni or Mama’s Tomato Soup. Today we’re tackling her Pimento Cheese – because it’s my goal in life to feed the world!
This week as we are cooking through my stash, we come to Southern Living 1988. Ya know, I’ve realized that even though I really love these cookbooks, after looking at them for a few minutes, my eyes start to glaze over. Because all the recipes are so close together and the print is small…and there AREN’T ENOUGH PICTURES! So, when I got to the recipe for Pimento Cheese, I knew I would tackle it, and use my Mama’s recipe instead.
So, Chunky Pimento Cheese. I’m sorry, but I hate foods labeled as “chunky.” It makes me think of two things:
1. Chunky = old = think clabbered milk that plops when you pour it. Now, does that sound appetizing to name a food? (This does not apply to my awesome Chunky Apple Bread.)
2. Chunky = fat = if you eat this, you’re gonna be chunky and jiggle when you walk. Yep – totally a recipe I want to try. Bring on the thunder thighs, y’all! Wahoo!!!!
So, therefore I shall rid the world of all recipes labeled “chunky.” Except Chunky Apple Bread.
Now, let’s be up front and honest here. My Mama’s Pimento Cheese uses Velveeta. In the South, Velveeta is a commonplace item – especially at church potlucks covering every vegetable imaginable. While the thought of Velveeta kinda freaks me out (room temperature cheese that never goes bad?!) and when you smack it, it kinds wobbles like jello – it was a “food” that I was familiar with before going Whole Foods. And yes, I realize that it’s weird that I might want to smack a piece of cheese.
Do we eat Velveeta in the Myers house? Nope. If my Mama made me a big ole bowl of Pimento Cheese with Velveeta, would I eat it? You bet your bottom dollar I would. And slap my chops. But, I will pass on the circus peanuts.
You’re gonna have to grate your cheese for this. I’ll be honest – I think my food processor has an option for grating…but I have NO clue how it works. And I don’t want to read the owner’s manual because I’m ornery like that. So, I grate on my box grater. I have a very bad history of grating the skin right off my knuckles. I’m not exactly suave in the kitchen. I finally broke down and bought a Kevlar glove…and it was one of my wiser purchases. No more bloody knuckles. Bloody cheese is worse than chunky cheese. Okay, I apologize for the visual.
This recipe relies on cream cheese and mayo for the nice creamy texture. Another honest point – we don’t like homemade mayonnaise. Yes, I have posted about it…but we just don’t like it. So, why should I make and consume something I don’t like? Don’t revoke my Whole Foods card since I just admitted I would eat Velveeta, binged on circus peanuts, and buy mayo. We don’t eat it enough for me to feel bad for buying mayo. I opt for Safflower Mayo instead of canola based mayo. Boom.
This mixes up right nice in a stand mixer – if you try to mix it by hand there will be lots of grunting. Mainly, I just like using my stand mixer for almost everything. I’m not sure if that qualifies me as lazy or genius. I’m choosing to think genius.
Note – this is very thick as-is. You can add milk to thin as you like. I leave mine thick and just kind of slab it on my bread. Or eat it with a spoon. I ain’t proud.
Mama’s Pimento Cheese
- 1 pound cheddar cheese, grated
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 ounces diced pimentos, drained
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Milk to thin if desired
- Mix all together. Chill before serving.
Yield: 3 ½ cups
I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve never tried Pimento Cheese before but I’m thinking I need to after seeing your post!!! I wanted to stop by to say “Thank You” for linking up to The Weekend re-Treat Link Party last weekend and to pin your post to our Party Boards while I was here!
Hope to see a few of your links tonight at 5pm MST when the party starts on The Best Blog Recipes!
Shauna
Thanks for pinning!
We love Pimento Cheese and your recipe is a little different from mine, it looks great, I will have to give it a try. Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend!
Miz Helen
I’m sure your’s is rockin’ awesome!
What is your recipe looking to make homemade just simple old fashion
Thank you for bringing your pimento cheese to the party this Friday at Family Fun Friday! blessings!
Thank YOU.
Yum! I cannot wait to try this, I love pimento! Thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday 🙂
Me too – so flavorful!
I’ve never tried the cream cheese addition, but I will say I love to use roasted red peppers and add some of the juice into my mix. Another nice ingredient is ground mustard. It works well in most any cheese dish. Thanks for posting a southern fave!
Mustard is good in everything! I love it!
I try to eat healthy most of the time but pimento cheese has to be my one true-I can’t do without weakness! I make mine the same way but sometimes I will add a pinch of cayenne or a bit of chopped jalapeno for a little extra kick!
I consider this healthy – it’s made with whole food ingredients. What I would not consider healthy is eating the entire batch. BHAHAHAHAHA! 🙂
That’s my problem,,,,I can eat the whole batch and I usually do! Its the ultimate comfort food for me!
I won’t tell.
I need one of those gloves! Loss of skin is one of the reasons I don’t use my grater very often…
If I would have read this before I moved to southern IN, I wouldn’t have had a clue as to what “Pimento Cheese” was. Actually, they call it “cheese salad” here and my husband’s Grandma makes a delicious version. =) I grew up in VT where they eat cheddar on apple pie, but no cheese salad/ pimento cheese! Once I’d tasted cheese salad, I loved it. All this talk about food has made me hungry… I want cheese salad! =)
Cheese Salad? YES PLEASE! And yes, you need the glove. I thought I would get all fancy yesterday and slice some apples on my mandoline without it – and guess who removed part of her thumb? Me.
KEVLAR GLOVES! I am overwhelmed by the genius in that! And they’re not even expensive. Amazing. Oh, yes, definitely making the recipe, too. 🙂 I even love the stuff from a jar, so I know it will make me happy. 🙂
Stuff from a jar cannot even compare. 🙂
Thanks for posting this….I think I might actually have that Southern Living cookbook in the pic! Anyway, I do like this version of pimiento cheese, but I’d have to add a little something for extra spreadability. My dad always made it at our house – he used American cheese, Miracle Whip, pimiento, salt and pepper. Never used Velveeta, but I have to confess, I love the stuff. Wanting to try the homemade version…lol. Thanks again!
I like chopping hunks out and eating it with my fingers. That makes it finger food. LOL
You do have a point, Stacy…LOL
I like it when I make good points.
We’ve made pimento cheese before. I think we use Paula Deen’s recipe. It’s similar to yours but it uses sharp and extra sharp cheese but no cream cheese. Yours looks yummy! My husband loves the homemade kind (we don’t buy the store bought at all).
Oh and just for the record…I love circus peanuts!! I can usually say no to eating them, but I do love them. 😉
If it’s Paula’s recipe, I know it’s good. I’m making one of her recipes for dinner – Grilled Apple, Bacon and Cheese Sandwiches.
I hate store bought pimento cheese, but this looks yummy!
Me too!