This is the second installment of my Southern New Year’s Foods series. Happy New Year!
Really, The Evil Genius and I complete each other. While I sit on the couch with my laptop thinking about pimiento cheese, he’s watching Alien vs. Predator and commenting on which characters he thinks will be eaten. So see? We’re both thinking about food.
Our family marches on its stomach. Long before I met my southern transplant husband, I learned to cook Southern dishes from my Arkansan grandmother. I’m certain he didn’t marry me just for Grandma’s pimiento cheese, collard greens, and cornbread, but being able to make those classics well surely didn’t hurt.
I suspect there were tears of joy in his blue eyes the first time I set a bowl of pimiento cheese and a plate of crackers in front of him. There’s no shame in a good old boy weeping over food like Grandma used to make. He may be Evil, but he still loves his Mammy.
Pimiento cheese is as Southern as the word “y’all.” This creamy, flavorful spread mixes sharp cheddar with bright roasted red peppers. It’s at home on an elegant buffet as well as on humble celery sticks for an after-school snack. Quick to assemble, pimiento cheese delivers big flavor with little effort.
Don’t stop at crudités and crackers. Trim the crusts and add watercress for elegant tea sandwiches, or tuck it between two slices of buttery white bread for a classic savory sandwich. Few things say Southern afternoon like a pimiento cheese sandwich and a glass of sweet tea on the front porch. Toast two slices of hearty wheat with a generous filling of pimiento cheese and you might have the best grilled cheese of your life.
A party isn’t complete without pimiento cheese in some form, and New Year’s Eve is the biggest celebration of the year. Break out a bowl of this festive spread and keep copies of the recipe handy — you’ll be asked for it. It’s that good.
Happy New Year, y’all!
Pimiento Cheese
Ingredients:
- 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 16 ounces grated cheddar cheese (a mix of extra-sharp and sharp works well)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 small onion
- 2–3 tablespoons pimientos or roasted red peppers, chopped with a little jar juice
- 1/2 teaspoon each granulated garlic, granulated onion, coarse salt, and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Add the cream cheese, mayonnaise, granulated garlic, granulated onion, salt, and pepper to the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade. Grate the onion into the food processor on top of the other ingredients and pulse until smooth.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the shredded cheddar. Pulse in seven or eight short bursts, just until the cheese is incorporated into the cream cheese. Scrape down the bowl again and add the pimientos with a bit of the juice.
Pulse another four or five short bursts so the pimientos are chopped and blended but still in small, recognizable pieces.
Use a silicone scraper or spatula to transfer the mixture to a serving dish or storage container. Cover tightly and refrigerate for about an hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Leftovers will keep tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to a week.
If you do not have a food processor, simply combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir vigorously with a sturdy spoon until thoroughly blended.
Slather this on celery sticks, pile it into sandwiches, pour yourself a tall glass of sweet tea, and say “y’all” a few times. You might just love it.