The Home Front
When the leaves turn golden and the air grows slightly chilly, you can always expect a football game on the TV. As an Alabamian and a graduate of Auburn University, football season is an important part of my culture, and I thoroughly enjoy making a variety of foods for any tailgates or watch parties. One of the best and simplest foods I like to make for football season is homemade pimento cheese. It doesn’t get much more southern than that! Here are my five tips for taking pimento cheese to the next level.
1. Use block cheese and grate by hand. Try to stay away from pre-shredded cheese when it comes to creating pimento cheese.
2. Use a combination of sharp and extra sharp cheddar. Sharp cheeses add additional flavor to the pimento cheese.
3. Grate the cheeses into two sizes. Using a box grater, grate half of your cheese into larger pieces and the other half into finer pieces.
4. Utilize high-quality cheeses. Cracker Barrel, Cabot, and Tillamook are great options that I personally enjoy.
5. Use good mayo. Duke’s Real Mayonnaise is close to homemade and my personal preference for pimento cheese.
Here is my perfect pimento cheese recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 (8 oz) block sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 (8 oz) block extra sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 (4 oz) jar pimientos, (do not drain)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp finely diced onion
- 1/2 tsp red (cayenne) pepper
- 1 tbsp diced pickled jalapeños, (optional)
Instructions. In a large bowl, stir together mayonnaise, diced pimientos, Worcestershire sauce, grated onion, and red pepper flakes until blended. Grate cheddar cheeses using two sides of a box grater so that half is largely grated and the rest is more finely grated. Stir the mayonnaise mixture into the cheese. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours and enjoy!
The “redneck” way to serve pimento cheese. I love to serve pimento cheese as part of my Alabama-style “redneck” charcuterie board. Redneck charcuterie includes saltine crackers, smoked sausages, tamed jalapeños, and your choice of pickles. To make it Alabama-style, I use small Conecuh sausages and Wickles Pickles. For more tips and tricks on how to make your own redneck charcuterie, visit www.familysavvy.com to check it out on the Family Savvy blog!
-Jamie Tarence
