Southern Pimento and Cheese

In this part of western North Carolina, everyone has their own way of making pimento and cheese. One thing is for sure though, if you go to a party, someone's bringing pimento and cheese. I grew up in the south and as far as I can tell, this is a dish that is as much a part of southern hospitality as sweet tea on a hot summer day. Enjoy ya'll.

(This is my own recipe and I have made it so many times, I don't measure any more, so feel free to adjust to your personal tastes). This is a party size recipe.

16 oz extra sharp yellow cheddar

8 oz extra sharp white cheddar

8 oz pepper jack cheese

Appox. 8 oz sour cream

12 oz jar of roasted peppers

about a cup or so of good mayonaise

pinch of salt

cracked black pepper

Dice the roasted red peppers and set aside to drain.

Grate all the cheese using either a box grater or a food processor. Either way, make sure the cheese is really cold so it doesn't get mushy. Sometimes I'll do half in the processor and half with the box grater so I get a chunkier spread.

Toss the cheeses so they are well distributed. Add a pinch or so of salt and a couple of grinds of black pepper. Toss in the roasted peppers and start mixing in the sour cream and mayonaise. It should be creamy, but still slightly chunky. If you prefer to use all mayonaise, that's fine, but the sour cream adds a nice spark to the flavor.

Adjust the salt, mayo, and sour cream to taste. Place in the fridge for at least an hour or so before serving. Serve as a spread with your favorite hearty cracker. Also good for making finger sandwiches.

Variations: I personally like a bit of japaleno pepper in my pimento and cheese. If you don't like japaleno, adding a dash of cayenne pepper instead is also classic.