Pimento cheese spread has been popular in America since the early 1900's. It was named for the Spanish word for pepper: pimiento.
Ingredients
Georgia farmers began experimenting with growing the Spanish pimento -- a meaty, heart-shaped red pepper. Pomona Products founder George Riegel of Experiment, Georgia, requested seeds from the Spanish consulate, and in 1916 was the first U.S. farmer to grow the peppers. Canning began shortly thereafter and one of the food products made with the pimentos was pimento cheese spread similar to what we see today.
Once a staple of the deli counter in most grocery stores, the spread is served sandwiched between slices of bread, used as a dip for crackers, served open-faced on warm toast and even melted on hamburgers. If you haven't had it, you may have to make your own as it is not as popular as it was and is sometimes now hard to find. So today I'm making my own batch of this tasty treat. I will say there are many recipes for this spread and all have various combinations and amounts. If your mother made it, then use her recipe as that's probably what you will like best. If you're using it for sandwiches, then you may want to omit the cayenne pepper.
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
pinch cayenne pepper (optional, to taste)
1 pound yellow sharp cheddar cheese
4 ounces (about 1/3 cup pimentos)
patted dry and finely chopped
Instructions
Whisk mayonnaise, cream cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and cayenne together in large bowl.
Shred half (8 ounces) cheddar on large holes of a grater. Shred remaining 8 ounces cheddar on small holes of a grater. Stir pimentos and all cheddar into mayonnaise mixture until thoroughly combined. Place in an air-tight container and let flavors combine for 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator for 1 hour and swerve.
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