Pimento Cheese, the Guest of Honor at Every Southern Celebration

Pimento Cheese, the Guest of Honor at Every Southern Celebration

By Daniela Anderson

Pimento cheese is a “Southern Institution,” one of the region’s most legendary, quintessential staples. From a well-known, annual golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia to baby showers, church picnics and tailgates, Pimento cheese always adds to a celebration.

Actually, this delectable concoction originated in New York State in the 1870s, when farmers started making a soft, unripened cheese similar to French Neufchatel which they called cream cheese.

Simultaneously Spain started exporting canned sweet red peppers, called Pimientos, to the United States. The “i” in Pimiento was dropped, and they became known as Pimentos.

In 1908, an article in Good Housekeeping published a recipe blending cream cheese, chives, mustard and pimentos as a sandwich filling and gave birth to “pimento cheese.”

In 1910, commercially prepared Pimento cheese hit the market and quickly became popular. The following year, farmers in Georgia began growing domestic pimentos to keep up with the demand.

After World War II, home cooks started making their own version, swapping out the cream cheese for “hoop cheese,” and then later, cheddar. They added mayo to bind it all together, and voila, this Southern icon was born. Decades later, there are as many variations as there are personal preferences. The most interesting recipe I received came from a friend from Georgia, passed down from her grandmother’s housekeeper. She roasted her own red peppers,

DANIELA’S SIGNATURE PIMENTO CHEESE leaving just a bit of the charred skin on the pepper for depth of 1 lb extra sharp yellow cheddar flavor. 1 lb extra sharp white cheddar The most amusing anecdote 4 oz cream cheese (room temperature) came from my friend Rebecca 1/2 cup shredded Vidalia onion Webert. Pimento cheese shows 9 oz fire roasted red peppers or jarred pimentos up at all her family functions. 1/2 cup Duke’s mayonnaise, plus another 1/4 cup “I had to call my grandmother 2 tsp garlic powder to get the recipe because I’m not 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce old enough to be trusted with a 2 tsp Louisiana hot sauce written copy yet,” she said. “And

Ground fresh pepper, to taste In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and mayonnaise with a hand blender until smooth. Grate the yellow and white cheddar cheese and add to bowl. Add the garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, ground fresh pepper and Louisiana hot sauce. Mix using hand mixer until all the ingredients are well she made sure to ask if I had a hand mixer, because it was a must for this.” She definitely hasn’t told her grandmother that she now uses a food processor. Cookeville, Tennessee native Suzi Worsham, another friend, blended. Add the roasted red peppers or pimentos. suggested the following tip.

If roasting your own peppers, remove the skins and “Taste your pimento cheese after seeds after roasting and chop into small pieces. it’s been sitting for several hours

Mix with hand mixer until well blended. When or overnight to see if you need to you reach your preferred consistency, add 1/4 cup add that little addition that makes more mayonnaise to compensate for absorption by it your version.” the cheese over the following 24 hours. Flavors will Suzi owned Heart in Hand deepen and intensify over the next 12-24 hours and restaurant in Clifton for 30 the cheese is best after 48 hours. Keep refrigerated years and wrote a popular before serving. cookbook called Cooking with Heart in Hand.

DANIELA’S SIGNATURE PIMENTO CHEESE

1 lb extra sharp yellow cheddar

1 lb extra sharp white cheddar

4 oz cream cheese (room temperature)

1/2 cup shredded Vidalia onion

9 oz fire roasted red peppers or jarred pimentos

1/2 cup Duke’s mayonnaise, plus another 1/4 cup

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp Louisiana hot sauce

Ground fresh pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and mayonnaise with a hand blender until smooth. Grate the yellow and white cheddar cheese and add to bowl. Add the garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, ground fresh pepper and Louisiana hot sauce. Mix using hand mixer until all the ingredients are well blended. Add the roasted red peppers or pimentos. If roasting your own peppers, remove the skins and seeds after roasting and chop into small pieces. Mix with hand mixer until well blended. When you reach your preferred consistency, add 1/4 cup more mayonnaise to compensate for absorption by the cheese over the following 24 hours. Flavors will deepen and intensify over the next 12-24 hours and the cheese is best after 48 hours. Keep refrigerated before serving.