Pimento Cheese

Inspired by Jennifer Justus - Nashville, TN

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Mom used to buy pimento cheese from the store all the time and it was great on crackers as a snack or made into small sandwiches for road trips and camping. Up North, pimento cheese doesn’t have the same level of popularity and I had all but forgotten about this phenomenon until browsing Jennifer Justus’ cookbook. Seeing her recipe for pimento cheese, I was immediately reminded of how much I love this stuff. Homemade, this stuff is good all on it’s own. Or, better yet, take this simple recipe to the next level and make a grilled pimento cheese sandwich.

This recipe was inspired by Jennifer Justus and her recipe for “Classic Pimiento Cheese” in her cookbook Nashville Eats. I make a few minor adjustments which are reflected upon in the notes but either way, this stuff is about a million times better than the store bought stuff. Jennifer doesn’t make a grilled cheese sandwhich in her book but it just sounded right to me when I was preparing lunch. I have no regrets.

INGREDIENTS

PIMENTO CHEESE (Makes 1 ½ cups):

  • 4 oz extra sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded

  • 4 oz mild yellow cheddar cheese, shredded

  • 4 oz jar diced pimentos, drained

  • ¼ cup + 1 TBS mayo

  • 1 TBS parsley, finely chopped

  • ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

  • 10 shakes of Frank’s Red Hot

  • Pepper to taste

GRILLED PIMENTO CHEESE:

  • Pimento cheese

  • 1 or 2 bacon slices (optional)

  • 2 or 3 tomato slices (optional)

  • Mayo

  • White bread

GO FOR IT

PIMENTO CHEESE:

  1. In a bowl, mix both cheeses together

  2. Add in all remaining ingredients and mix well

  3. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving with crackers or using to make a sandwich

GRILLED PIMENTO CHEESE:

  1. Spread mayo on 1 slice of white bread and place on a hot skillet over medium heat

  2. On exposed bread side, spread a layer of pimento cheese, then crispy bacon, then tomato

  3. Top with 2nd slice of bread and then spread layer of mayo on top of sandwich

  4. When 1st half of sandwich has cooked about 3 or 4 minutes, it will be time to flip using a spatula, cooking another 3 to 4 minutes before removing from heat and serving fresh

NOTES:

One thing I appreciate about this recipe is how it has far less mayo in it than the store bought I remember when growing up. That stuff was good but this stuff is much much better. It truly is a grown up version of a childhood favorite. That being said, Jennifer Justus only put ¼ cup of mayo in her recipe but it wasn’t enough for me so I added the extra TBS for creaminess. It’s still far less mayo than what you’ll find in your store brands but at this point it’s just a matter of personal preference. Put in ¼ cup to start and add more should you see the need.

This is also true of the Frank’s Red Hot. Jennifer suggests only 6 dabs of cayenne pepper hot sauce. However, I like a kick so I added a few more dabs and am in love with the results. Next time I think I may even dice up some jalapeños for added heat. If that’s not your thing, I’ve also read that diced up pickles add some nice flavor as well.

Lastly, grilled cheese is grilled cheese. Most people have made one at some point and everyone has their own way of doing it. I wanted to make this a bit more of a lunch sandwich so I added in the bacon and tomato. Do as you wish but one thing I will advocate for is the use of mayo on your bread instead of butter when “grilling” your sandwich. Mayo does not burn as quickly as butter does and so you are in less danger of ending up with burnt bread. Mayo also spreads better. It’s the superior grilled cheese sandwich accompaniment. Prove me wrong.