Pimento Cheese

Pimento Cheese
from swampbear

Pimento Cheese is not an exact science. This is my basic recipe:

1 lb. extra sharp cheddar cheese grated.
2 small jars of diced pimentos
One smallish onion chopped fine (onion is optional)
3/4 cup mayo (I suggest startin' with 1/2 cup and adjustin' to taste)
Salt and Pepper to taste (Optional. I don't add salt cause the cheese is salty enough for my taste)
Cayenne Pepper to taste (Optional but it does give it a zing)

Mash or chop pimentos. Add all other ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. One might also just dump it all in a food processor and have at it but mixin' by hand is therapeutic. What? It is! Try it! Chill for a couple of hours. Eat.

Other options include such things as addin' cream cheese, which is not a bad thing but I say it's guildin' the lily. Also one might add some chopped pecans (weird but different!), minced garlic (not a bad option!) and sometimes even *shudder* Velveeta (GAG!!!111).

We southerners use it as a sammich spread, a dip and also spread it on celery as an appetizer. Makes a killer grilled cheese sammich! As a wee cub, pimento cheese sammiches were always a part of any picnic. I think it was a law back then cause everybody always had pimento cheese sammiches at picnics.

Thus endeth the lesson on pimento cheese.

Until swampy encountered a new variation at an anniversary party, made by the couple's son:

Also turns out not to be pimento cheese. He told me he uses roasted red peppers instead of pimentos and throws in a finely chopped jalapeno and blackened cajun seasonin' along with extra sharp cheddar cheese and mayo.