Wednesday, October 2, 2013

When Life Gives You Pimientos....

MAKE PIMIENTO CHEESE!

Do you know how many times it has taken me to type "pimiento" without a mistake and having to use autocorrect?

Geez.

The Princess Patch is still producing peppers like crazy. My favorite pepper of the season goes to...(drumroll, please)


THE PIMIENTO!

I'm telling ya, I have actually had conversations as of late that consisted of "what IS a pimiento?" "OH, I didn't realize that was what most olives are stuffed with", "what can you do with THOSE?" and so forth and so on.

(oh, and the previous conversations did not stem from one of my three littles.)

One of my new obsessions is making homemade pimiento cheese.

I even cheat and use pre-shredded cheese.

From a bag.

I know! (gasp!)

Hey - a mama's gotta do what a mama's gotta do!

BESIDES that, I actually prefer it.

I have taken the time to shred my own cheese, and it gets too gummy/clumpy for my liking. SO, the bagged way I will go!

Making your own pimiento cheese is yummy, delicious and rewarding. That's right. Once again, after using something you've grown in your own backyard OR picked up at your local FARMERS' MARKET, you will enjoy it ten times over.

Trust me. (And if you have ever heard to NEVER trust someone who says "trust me",  please make an exception this rule.)

First step: roast your pimientos.

I usually roast at least two peppers per batch. You can roast extras, and after roasting - store them in a little olive oil for up to two to three weeks.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the peppers on a cookie sheet lined with foil OR on a roasting pan (go figure).

Allow skin to char and turn black, then turn peppers and repeat until all sides are charred.

Place the peppers in a glass bowl, and quickly cover with plastic wrap or some type of cover.

Allow to steam for 3-5 minutes. (this aids in an auto-peel for your peps)

Remove the skin from your peppers, as well as stems and seeds.

Slice peppers into strips and then chop.

NOW you are ready to put it all together.

Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl:

2 Cups finely shredded SHARP cheddar cheese
~1 tsp grated onion
~1 T worcheshire sauce
~2-3 T mayonnaise
dash or two of cayenne pepper
roasted pimientos

Mix it all together; adjust seasonings to taste; slap it on a cracker or some celery; ENJOY!

Do you have a favorite pimiento cheese recipe?

Please SHARE.

Have a great day, y'all!

5 comments:

  1. I have never made pimiento cheese. Sounds yummy and easy. Can I use red peppers if I can't find pimientos?

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    1. I would say yes...BUT, I believe pimiento peppers have a distinct flavor. It would be interesting to have a tasting using fresh pimientos vs jarred pimientos vs fresh red peppers. Maybe one day...Thanks for stopping by! :)

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  2. I have never seen this made from scratch. So cool! And the directions for roasting are amazing - because I have an electric stove and didn't think I could "roast" peppers, but now I know I can. I now have pimentos on the garden list for next year. Nice!

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    1. Yay! Glad you got the boost you needed to go for the "roast". I'm telling ya -- once you start you won't stop! If you haven't already, you MUST try roasting cabbage, okra, brussel sprouts and even RADISHES. Those are kind of on the odd-ball list, but went from drab to FAB!

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  3. I love making my own pimiento cheese. And naturally the hubby assumed if he grew a bunch of pimientos I would know what to do with them. Not so much! You've just saved me from a really embarrassing confession.
    And BONUS - a new pimiento cheese recipe to try! :)

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