pimento

A decidedly Southern spread with Northern roots, pimento cheese is a simple mix of Cheddar, red bell pepper and mayonnaise that can be found on sandwiches from work sites to garden parties across the 16 states below the Mason-Dixon line. This recipe came to The Times from the Charleston, S.C.-bred cookbook authors and occasional contributors to The Times Matt Lee and Ted Lee.

The Lee Brothers’ Pimento Cheese

extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated

softened cream cheese

Duke’s, Hellmann’s or other high-quality store-bought mayonnaise

red chile flakes

Salt and black pepper

In a large mixing bowl, place the cheddar cheese in an even layer. Scatter the cream cheese, pimentos, mayonnaise and chile flakes over the cheddar cheese. Using a spatula, mix the pimento cheese until it is smooth and spreadable, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Transfer the pimento cheese to a plastic container or bowl, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator. Pimento cheese keeps in the refrigerator for 1 week.

Tomato and Pimento Cheese Fritters

all-purpose flour

cornmeal mix

salt

black pepper

garlic power

tomato

onion,

buttermilk

pimento cheese (plus more for serving, if desired)

vegetable oil

pepper jelly, melted (optional)

In a large bowl combine the flour, cornmeal mix, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the tomato and onion and stir to combine.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg into the buttermilk, and then add in the pimento cheese and stir to combine. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Add a small amount if additional buttermilk if you find the batter too thick.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Spoon the batter into the oil by heaping tablespoonsful. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, then flip the fritters and press them flat with the back of a spatula. Cook 4 to 5 more minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Cook in batches, adding more oil if necessary; then drain on paper towels, and serve hot. Serve with melted pepper jelly and additional pimento cheese, if desired.

This recipe combines two classic Southern dishes to create something special: <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017354-the-lee-brothers-pimento-cheese">Pimento cheese</a>, a spread for sandwiches, crackers and vegetables, meets mac and cheese for a peppery and spicier version of the traditional baked casserole. The core ingredients of pimento cheese — sharp yellow Cheddar, pimento peppers and cream cheese — cook into a sauce that’s creamier and tangier than the usual purely cheese base.

Pimento Mac and Cheese

unsalted butter,

salt and black pepper

macaroni elbows

panko bread crumbs

yellow onion, diced

garlic cloves,

jalapeño, minced (seeded if desired

paprika

milk

sharp yellow Cheddar cheese, grated (3 cups)

cream cheese, softened

(2-ounce) jars sliced pimentos, drained (1/2 cup)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain again.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the panko and cook, stirring often, until golden and toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Melt remaining 8 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapeño and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add flour and paprika, stir well, and cook until vegetables are coated, about 1 minute.

While whisking, carefully stream in the milk until smooth and incorporated. Bring to a simmer while continuing to whisk. Simmer, whisking often, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the Cheddar cheese, cream cheese and pimentos, and stir until the cheese is completely melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add cooked pasta and stir to coat. Transfer to the baking dish and spread evenly. Evenly sprinkle the toasted panko on top. Bake until golden and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then serve.

The South likes to claim pimento cheese as its own, but its origins can actually be traced back to New York, the home of cream cheese, which makes up the spread’s foundation. Cheddar and mayonnaise were later additions. This frittata is a hodgepodge of creamy and spicy, celebrating the flavors and textures of pimento cheese. The fresh herbs add vibrance, and the sharp Cheddar can stand up to the spiciness of the various peppers. The chunks of cream cheese add velvety bits to each bite.

Pimento Cheese Frittata

cold cream cheese,

eggs

heavy cream

red-pepper flakes

olive oil

medium yellow onion, diced

medium bell pepper (preferably red), trimmed, seeded and diced

jalapeño, diced

(4-ounce) jar pimiento peppers, diced

sharp Cheddar

chives

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place the cream cheese pieces in the freezer.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, salt, red-pepper flakes and black pepper until combined.

Add the olive oil, onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeño to a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and sauté over medium heat until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the pimiento peppers, reserving their liquid. Turn off the heat. Add the reserved pimiento liquid (about ⅓ cup) to the eggs and whisk to combine.

Spread the cooked vegetables in an even layer in the skillet. Sprinkle the Cheddar, chives and chilled cream cheese over the vegetables. Pour the egg mixture on top.

Bake until the eggs are set, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let cool slightly before serving warm or at room temperature.

Pimento Cheese Cornbread

cornmeal (I used yellow)

baking powder

sugar ((optional, but recommended))

egg,

mayonnaise

water

cheddar cheese (- 1 (8-ounce package))

(4-ounce) jar diced pimento peppers, drained

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil or shortening to an 10.25-inch cast iron skillet and place it in the oven to preheat while the oven preheats. (If your oven preheats quickly, you might want to leave the skillet in the oven to heat for at least 5 minutes once it&#39;s reached the target temp to allow the skillet to heat through. This is what gives the cornbread its thick, dark brown outer crust.)

In a large bowl, whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together. Add the egg, mayonnaise, buttermilk, and water and stir until smooth. Add the cheddar cheese and drained pimentos to the mixture - reserving a few of each to sprinkle on the top. Stir to combine.

Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and rotate it to ensure the oil has coated the entire bottom of the skillet. Pour the batter into the skillet, being cautious as the hot oil can splatter a bit. You&#39;ll know the skillet is pre-heated enough if the batter sizzles when you pour it in. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and pimentos on the top of the batter. Return the skillet to the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. You can also turn the oven on low broil for 2 to 3 minutes if you like the top really brown.

Remove from the oven and immediately invert to remove the cornbread from the skillet. If left in the skillet, the bottom will lose its crisp, crunchy crust. Serve warm.

Make your own roasted peppers. Saves money, tastes better. Freeze them and have them on hand for a variety of recipes. This technique works fine on most peppers. If you use hot peppers, wear rubber gloves or a baggie on your hands. Here&#039;s our how to recipe, including a smoked pepper option.

Fire Roasted Red Bell Peppers (Pimento) Recipe

red bell pepper

Prep. There are two ways to prep the pepper: 1) Slice the peppers in half or quarters lengthwise, strip out the seeds, ribs, and stems, and rinse them. There is less waste with this method, but the pepper has a natural curve and won&#039;t lay flat. 2) Lop off the stem end and a bit off the other end, cut through on one side top to bottom, and then run your knife along the inside wall to remove the seeds and ribs. With this method you get a long strip of pepper that can lay flat.

Char. Place the pepper, skin side down, on a hot grill or over a gas stovetop burner, a little less than Warp 10, or place them skin side up on a pan under a broiler. Keep the heat on until the skin blisters and blackens, about 10 minutes, depending on your grill. For thick walled peppers you can flip them over for a few minutes until they are cooked through and limp, but don&#039;t burn the meaty side.

Steam. After charring, a lot of recipes say to seal them in a paper bag so steam can loosen the skin, but those bags are often dirty and who knows what is in the glue, so I just place them in a bowl and cover it with a plate.

After about 15 minutes, when they cool enough to handle, strip off as much of the skin as possible with your fingers, or lay them skin up and gently scrape off the skin with a knife. Discard the skin. Don&#039;t worry if a few bits of skin remain.

Use or freeze. You can use them immediately or freeze them for months. Just put them in a zipper bag, drizzle in a little olive oil, squeeze out as much of the air as possible, zip it tight, squish them around so they are more or less coated in oil, write the date on the bag, and in the freezer they go.

Optional. Smoke 'em. Instead of grilling the peppers, put them in your smoker until they are soft and pliable and you can strip off the skins. If they don't come off easily, toss them on the hot grill until they are charred.

There are many ways you can make Pimento or Allspice Dram at home, from heating liquids to blending or macerating, playing with the flavor balance through adding other spices and ingredients, or simply using different types of rum.For this recipe we’ve gone for a split rum base - the 151 extracts the oils more aggressively than a standard proof, whilst the aged rum mellows the blend slightly, taking away some of the overproof rum’s harshness. This will also happen over time, with the profile becoming more balanced after a few months of ageing (to be honest the longer it sits once bottled the better it gets!).We’ve kept the spices simple by only using Allspice. A 10-day infusion means we get ALL those lovely mixed notes coming through, giving you a good baseline to start from.And to bring a subtle layer of molasses to the mix we’ve gone for demerara sugar rather than white. But feel free to use whatever you have available.

Homemade Allspice Dram

Allspice Berries (approx 25 grams)

151 Overproof Rum (approx 236 ml) (a demerara is perfect)

Appleton 12 year old Rum (approx 60 ml)

Water (approx 354 ml)

Lightly toast the allspice berries&nbsp;until they start releasing their aroma. Do not burn them! Allow to cool then crush them into a rough powder.

Combine the allspice with the rums&nbsp;in a sterilized airtight jar and let the mixture steep for 10-days in a cool dry spot away from daylight. Give it a good shake daily.

Strain the spiced rum mixture through triple layered cheesecloth (or muslin) into a jug. Give it a squeeze at the end to get all the liquid out. If the liquid is still cloudy, restrain through a wettened coffee filter. Don't be tempted to taste it, it'll numb your tongue and make your face go 'gnnnngghh' 🤤

Make a simple syrup (1:1 ratio) by adding your sugar and water to a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is clear once more (about 5 mins). Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Combine your spiced rum infusion with the simple syrup in a sterilised glass bottle with an airtight seal. Give it a good shake to mix it all up.

Now, the hard bit...&nbsp;leave for around a month in a cool, dark place. During this time the flavors will blend and mellow nicely, producing a far more balanced profile.

You can serve this classic spread with fresh celery and crackers.

Southern Pimento Cheese

cream cheese, (at room temperature)

plain Greek yogurt

jar diced pimentos, (drained with 2 tablespoons liquid reserved)

kosher salt

pepper

garlic powder

In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to combine the cheddar cheeses, cream cheese, mayonnaise, yogurt, and liquid from the pimentos until creamy and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the pimentos and seasonings.

Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

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Top 8 pimento recipes from across the web

The most viewed pimento recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

The Lee Brothers’ Pimento Cheese

Tomato and Pimento Cheese Fritters

Pimento Mac and Cheese

Pimento Cheese Frittata

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Fire Roasted Red Bell Peppers (Pime...

Homemade Allspice Dram

Southern Pimento Cheese

The most viewed pimento recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine