This Spicy Pimento Cheese is a nice twist on a southern classic that kicks up the heat and the flavor
Ingredients
4 Cups Shredded Cheese (Preferably Sharp Cheddar)
4 oz Cream Cheese, Softened (Reduced Fat is okay)
⅓ Cup Mayonnaise (Reduced Fat is okay)
1 Red Bell Pepper, Roasted and Diced
1 Jalapeño, Roasted and Diced
2 or More Fresh Hot Chilis, Minced (See Below)
2 to 3 Green Onions, Minced
1 Teaspoon Honey
1 Tablespoon Season Salt
1 Teaspoon Paprika
½ Garlic Powder
A Few Dashes of Hot Sauce (I prefer Tabasco)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions
Mix all the ingredients together, adjust seasoning and spiciness to taste, and dig in! It doesn’t get much simpler than that!
The type and amount of chili peppers you add to this will all depend on just how spicy you want it. The most recent batch I made (pictured above) included eight Thai chilis (more on those here). You might think that should be called Inferno Pimento Cheese, but the amount of dairy from the shredded cheese and cream cheese really offsets that heat. In my opinion, it was not even up to Hot heat level.
Still, I do advise you start with restraint. If you are using Thai chilis, or even Serranos, add one or two at first and then more if needed. You can always add more, but it sure is a pain to pick out those pieces of minced chili if you go overboard! Also, it is a good idea to let the mix sit for about half an hour or so before adjusting heat and spiciness. That gives all the ingredients time to settle and become friendly with one another.
If you don’t want it too spicy at all (but why?), don’t add any chilis beyond the red bell pepper and the jalapeno, and pickled jalapenos can work in place of the roasted pepper. If you want to go the other direction, a fresh Habanero adds quite a kick plus a little extra boost of flavor.
Pimento Cheese works great as a dip, or use it to make that southern classic the Pimento Cheese Sandwich. (Recipe: two slices of toasted bread, Pimento Cheese, lettuce, tomato, yum!) It also makes a good grilled cheese, or you can add it to a burger or a hot dog for a gourmet touch. You can find Pimento Cheese in most grocery stores (in the south at least), but once you have made your own, you probably will not go back to store-bought again.