The Real Deal Pimento Cheese

Living in Southern California, we are blessed with the opportunity to take long weekend trips to some of the best wine regions in the country. My favorite thing about wine country, other than the wine, is the occasion to picnic in some of the prettiest spots in California. And, for us southerners, it isn’t a picnic without pimento cheese sandwiches. There are as many pimento cheese recipes as there are southern cooks. My mother used to mix hers up by putting it through a big iron grinder that clamped on the end of the kitchen table, but that was before God gave us the Cuisinart. Her pimento cheese was really good. I think mine is better.

THE REAL DEAL PIMENTO CHEESE SANDWICHES

2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
1 cup roasted pimento peppers (chopped & divided)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
White sandwich bread

Shred cheeses using shredder disc of food processor.

Put cheeses in bowl of food processor with blade attachment and process until pulverized. Add mayonnaise, sugar, salt and pepper, processing until smooth.

Add 1/2 cup of the chopped pimentos, process until mixed.

Transfer mixture to small bowl, stir in reserved 1/2 cup of chopped pimentos. Adjust seasonings.

Refrigerate in lidded container until ready to use.

May be used immediately, but is best when flavors are allowed to blend for at least 24 hours.

For the sandwiches, stick with tradition and use plain white loaf bread. Trim the crusts and cut them half on the diagonal. Delicious with lemonade or a bottle of chilled Alma Rosa Rose. (Also very good spread on slices of apple, but you didn’t hear it from me.)