Tex-Mex pimento cheese
I’m heading home in a couple of days, and since I won’t arrive to the farm until late Thursday morning, I’ve been trying to figure out dishes I can contribute to the Thanksgiving feast that won’t take a lot of time and effort. As I was going through my list of recipes, I came across that old favorite—pimento cheese.
Truth be told, I hadn’t eaten any since my grandfather’s funeral back in 2008. A woman that goes to my grandparent’s church had read my earlier blog post where I remarked that pimento cheese makes for fine funeral food. And so she made my recipe and brought it to the farm.
It was a hit—so much of a hit that my uncle Richard and I got in a huge fight over who would get to eat the last couple of spoonfuls. (Now lest you think my family and I don’t get along—we were all a bit stressed because of the funeral and were behaving like five year olds. This is not to say, however, that it wasn’t indeed a fine batch of pimento cheese.) That day was over a year ago, and that’s just too long to go without eating pimento cheese. So I decided to whip up a batch.
Pimento cheese is simple, really. At its most basic it’s just shredded cheddar cheese, some mayonnaise and chopped pimentos. But when I opened my refrigerator, I realized that I didn’t have any pimentos on hand. So I improvised.
I enjoy the tangy sweetness of the little red pimentos, but I also like the splash of color the peppers give to the spread. I had some Ro-Tel tomatoes on hand, so I threw them into my bowl. And to keep with the Tex-Mex theme, I decided to mix some lime juice, cilantro and cumin into my mayonnaise and tossed in a chopped Serrano chile as well.
There are many ways to eat pimento cheese, but my favorite way has always been simply as a dip. And the Tex-Mex profile of this spread definitely makes it perfect for tortilla chips. But it would also be terrific on a biscuit, folded into an omelet, or even scooped on top of a burger.
What do you call pimento cheese when it doesn’t have pimentos? Pepper cheese? Tomato cheese? Pimento-not cheese? Tex-Mex cheese? I have no idea, but no matter what you call this pimento cheese, it’s still pretty darn good.
Tex-Mex pimento cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 can of Ro-Tel, drained
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 Serrano chiles, seeded and finely diced
- Salt, black pepper and cayenne to taste
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together and chill for a few hours.
I saw this post advertised on the Kitchen Witch blog and was drawn immediately to it – what a fantastic idea! I sooo want to try this now! Yum! Wonder what it would be like with jalapenos in it…?! xxx
whoaaa, this looks amazing. too often pimento cheese is plagued by mayonnaise globs and poor-quality cheeses. this looks like an amazing, hearty alternative! thanks!
I actually tracked down some real pimentos here in Toronto.
I am angling to make some pimento cheese, especially after reading about it being a turkey sandwich topper.
Have to tell you I can't really tell the difference between commercially roasted red bell peppers and these pimentos. The producer is Moody Dunbar in Tennessee.
I'll let you know how it turns out.
There's a popular side dish in the midwest that you would probably love. It's Pea Salad, and it mixes finely cubed American cheese, mayonnaise, and frozen green peas. I suppose you could eat it on chips; it would cut the richness.
Versailles Rose–I'm so happy you have a newfound appreciation of Ro-Tel. It's definitely good stuff!
Rip Ford–It's perfect with tomato soup–that's one of my favorite combinations as well.
T–I love the serendipity! And very nice to meet you!
KmMackenzie–What an excellent way to give a tired turkey sandwich some life! Glad y'all enjoyed it!
The Fashionable Traveler–How fortunate you have a source for raw-milk cheese. And I love the name Honeysuckle Lane. Do enjoy!
The Curious Cat–It would be just as good with jalapenos, if not a little bit less fiery since they pack less heat than Serrano chiles.
Austineatssandwiches–I agree with you completely!
Tommy–Truth be told, I think pimentos–or pimientos as they're rightfully known–are nothing more than roasted red peppers chopped into little pieces. I could be wrong, but that's what they taste like. Hope you enjoy it!