Grandma Lucy’s Pimento Cheese
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Today I’m bringing you a much beloved recipe from the South. From what I read and hear, it isn’t nearly as popular outside of our little geographic region as it is here, but folks in these parts consider it a staple in every home!
Long before the days of snack cakes and convenience foods, Pimento Cheese sandwiches dominated minds when it came to a “quick bite to eat” or a “little lunch”. They were cheap and delicious on plain old white bread, although I serve mine on wheat these days.
I remember going to Grandmama and Grandaddy’s house and finding one or both sitting at their kitchen table having a pimento cheese sandwich and a glass of milk. They’d always ask “Ya want some puh-men-ah cheese, baby?”. I never refused.
I’ve wanted to get this recipe up on here for a while and asked Grandmama how she made her pimento cheese so I could bring you the taste I remember so well. She immediately said “Oh, now if you want the best pimento cheese, you gotta use Velveeta.”
What better time to bring you this than during my time serving as a Velveeta Kitchenista? I hope you’ve been visiting Velveeta It!’s facebook page this month as myself and four other Mom bloggers present a new Velveeta recipe each day but if you haven’t you can still breeze on over there and catch up on all of the wonderful tips and recipes that have been shared so far! Just visit www.facebook.com/velveeta and be sure to drop a howdy to me there this Thursday when I’ll be hosting Tasty Traditions Thursdays!
You’ll need: 16 ounce block of Velveeta, Pimentos, and a little Mayo.
Grate your Velveeta. Now Velveeta is a little on the soft side so I found an easy way of doing this. You remember play-doh? Just get your grater out and place the block of Velveeta against it and press into the grater. It comes out the other side quick and easy as can be and ends up being a lot less work than grating a block of cheddar.
Dump in a jar of drained pimentos. I used the small jar which is about 2 ounces.
Add about 1/2 cup of Mayonnaise. You can add more to taste if you like.
Stir that up well.
Grandmama doesn’t salt and pepper hers so I didn’t either. I found it to be utterly sublime as is but feel free to salt and pepper (and even garlic!) yours if you got a hankerin’ to.
Serve on a sandwich or crackers.
These are a standard at every party, too. There is nothing like little finger pimento cheese sandwiches with the crusts trimmed off to add an air of tradition to a gathering!
Did you eat pimento cheese growing up? Do you have a different recipe or a special Pimento Cheese memory?
Tell me about it in the comments!
Ingredients
- 16 ounce block Velveeta
- 2 ounce jar Pimentos drained
- 1/2 C Mayonnaise
Instructions
- Push Velveeta through a grater until all is grated in a bowl. Add Pimentos and Mayo. Stir well. Salt and pepper if desired. Serve on loaf bread.
Today’s quote is one of those that kinda hits you in layers. Hope you enjoy it!
“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”
St. Francis of Assisi
Here’s how we do it:
8 oz. grated sharp Cheddar
4 oz. grated Monterey Jack (we like Pepper Jack)
4 oz. diced pimentos, drained
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. freshly grated black pepper
Dash cayenne
1-1/2 tsp. Texas Pete hot sauce (optional)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate.
Feel free to adjust seasonings to your taste. We sometimes add chopped olives or chopped pickles. YUM!
My first experience with pimento cheese was on a visit with my mom to her hometown of Monroe, LA. One of her friends made if for her as a treat. I’d never eaten it in WI! Now, there’s a woman in our church here in IL who is known for her pimento cheese. Everyone hopes for it at potlucks or functions at her house. Many people have asked for the recipe and many people have tried to get her to give hints of how she does it, to no avail. She says if we want to know, we’ll have to come to her funeral because it will be printed on the back of the bulletin!
Oh, Oh, how I love homemade pimento cheese! I make mine with Velveta, grated dill pickle, sliced ripe/black olives and of course, chopped pimento! Sometimes I add chopped,crisp, bacon slices,(if I have any left over from breakfast.) And….Kraft Mayonnaise is a must for me! Christy,so nice of you to educate some of these folks who have never had the pleasure of a pimento cheese sandwich on soft, white bread! Sometimes I use the Sourdough Bread from Publix’s bakery.
Oh wait.. this recipe isnt much like a grilled cheese is it .. Oops lol
My son’s favorite is a grilled cheese made with pimento cheese instead of sliced. Slap some butter on that bread and toast it up – It’s delicious too!
Im just gonna go ahead and ask, what is a pimento? What does it taste like? I tried a quick change one time with grilled cheese, I rubbed a lil garlic on the bread before I added some butter and so it was a lil bit garlicky like cheesy garlic bread 🙂 YUM
Pimentos are roasted red peppers that have been packed in an oil based “juice”. When making pimento cheese mix, buy the pimentoes that are minced or slivered. Don’t pay extra for whole roasted pimento peppers unless that is the only way your store sells them. Dromedary Pimentos are one brand that’s available. Look for them in the area of your grocery store where olives and pickles are sold. If you look for them in the Gourmet or International Food sections, you may pay extra for the brand name. No need to pay extra for something that will be mixed into the sandwich spread.
One of my favorite sandwiches is grilled pimento cheese and turkey and my other favorite is pimento cheese, bacon and ketchup on super soft fresh bread. YUMMY!!
I used to love that once a month trip into “town” with my grandmother to pick up that big block of government cheese and peanut butter and go to the grocery store! When we got home it always meant pimento cheese sandwiches and peanut butter cookies were in our future!!
We didn’t have pimentos where I’m from (New Zealand), but we did have something similar – remove the pimentos and replace with a little minced onion and a few dashes of worchester sauce. It doesn’t sound all that appealing, but it tastes great! Thanks for reminding me of that, I’m gonna whip up some today!