It starts as far back as I can think. The love of pimento cheese, that is. It takes me back to Maw-Maw’s kitchen, just like I was in there at this very moment. Every grandmother ends up throwing things together regardless of the recipe, and this wasn’t an exception. She knew exactly how much cheese to shred, how much pimento to spoon from the jar, how much mayonnaise and mustard to add, and how much salt and pepper to put in. It was like magic. It always had to be sharp cheddar. It was pimentos from the little jars where you ALWAYS keep the little jar to store beads or something on later down the road. It was ALWAYS Duke’s…there is no substitution! French’s yellow mustard was always the perfect twang added. It all started with only the best, most essential ingredients, and ended up between two regular slices of white bread. Well unless she had made some sourdough bread. Then it was an even better Pimento Cheese Sandwich!
There are many things I do in our kitchen that remind me of her. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of her. Most days it’s happy memories, and some days I’m sad. But the light she showed to everyone she met, I can only hope I do that each day myself. She left an impact on her world, that people still talk about when you’re around them. That’s the kind of impact we should all aim to leave on our own worlds. The kind that when someone uses one of your kitchen utensils, all the memories flood back of the love that flowed from your kitchen.
Lately, I’ve found myself circling back to Pimento Cheese. It’s become an easy and flavorful Keto addition, that truly goes with anything. While her ingredients were much more simple, I looked around for a different recipe that could maybe add a little extra fat punch to it. Lucky for me, the first one I tried was a huge hit with the husband, and it’s now a Keto kitchen staple. I make it with Maw-Maw’s mixing spoon (unless there’s a big batch and I use Nixie), and am almost to the point that I don’t have to measure any of the ingredients. A couple more times, and I’ll have it down ‘pat’.
If you’re on Keto, and you’re getting bored of just the added basic cheese, get out of your basic rut. Try a little Southern style in your life, and mix up some Pimento Cheese to top ANYTHING. We’ve put it on hamburger steaks, on the side of a buffalo chicken salad, and you can even put it in an omelet for an extra bit of creaminess. Super versatile, and super fatty with little carbs depending on what brands you purchase.
Enjoy and experiment with different seasonings and additions. You can add olives and pecans to it like my Mom does. Or, you can spice it up with jalapenos like I’ve done before. So many possibilities! Here’s the recipe I found. Tried and true! We haven’t added the jalapenos yet, but have found that it has enough punch with the cayenne pepper.
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (Optional)
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (Optional)
- 1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimento, drained
- salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
- Place the Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, minced jalapeno, and pimento into the large bowl of a mixer. Beat at medium speed, with paddle if possible, until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Here are some other Pimento Cheese posts on The Onyx Plate…See? The love is real!
Spicy Pimento Cheese Sandwiches, The Beauty of Pimento Cheese…, This Pimento Cheese recipe is for you, Beaux!, Homemade Pimento Cheese
The Onyx Plate 