Monday, July 5, 2010

Foxy Pimiento Cheese: The Perfect Condiment for Perfectly Ripe Tomatoes

Foxy Pimiento Cheese is a delicious blend of sharp cheddar and mild bleu....and a "secret" ingredient that nobody will ever guess!

Top perfectly ripe tomatoes or stuff cherry tomatoes with this delicious pimiento cheese
that is a quick, make-ahead dish for entertaining or every day sandwiches and snacks.


Foxy Pimiento Cheese
(Makes about 4 cups)

12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated (may use a good brand of pre-shredded cheese)
4 ounces mild bleu cheese, grated (mild bleu cheese will not have many bleu veins, I use the Harris Teeter Fresh Foods Market Brie)
4 ounce jar of chopped pimientos, undrained (see tip below)
3/4-1 cup good quality mayonnaise (such as Hellman's)
1/4-1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper (restaurant grind, to taste)
1/2 teaspoon Texas Pete hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1 teaspon A-1 Steak Sauce (this is the secret ingredient!!)

-In a large bowl, combine cheeses and pimientos and stir till combined.
-In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup mayo and remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.
-Fold mayo mixture into the cheese until completely incorporated.
-Mixture should be very creamy and not dry. Add the remaining 1/4 cup mayo if necessary.
-Refrigerate overnight for best flavor. The cheese spread will tighten up with refrigeration. If you find that it is too
  thick because you didn't add the extra 1/4 cup of the mayo, just go ahead and stir it in.
 
Pimiento cheese and pickled okra are a tradition in the South.



Our favorite brand of pickled okra (next to our homemade) is Talk 'o Texas.
 
 


Find jarred pimiento cheese on the vegetable ailse in your grocery store, instead of the pickle aisle. You can substitute roasted red peppers if you can't find pimientos, but the flavor will be different.

Enjoy!


1 comment:

UNCgal said...

One of my favorite summer meals--a pimento cheese sandwich with a slice of a ripe German Johnson tomato! Homemade pimento cheese is the best but the brand name Stan's will certainly do if there's no time to make homemade & there are ripe tomatoes on the countertop.