Grandma Lucy’s Pimento Cheese
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Today I’m bringing you a much beloved recipe from the South. From what I read and hear, it isn’t nearly as popular outside of our little geographic region as it is here, but folks in these parts consider it a staple in every home!
Long before the days of snack cakes and convenience foods, Pimento Cheese sandwiches dominated minds when it came to a “quick bite to eat” or a “little lunch”. They were cheap and delicious on plain old white bread, although I serve mine on wheat these days.
I remember going to Grandmama and Grandaddy’s house and finding one or both sitting at their kitchen table having a pimento cheese sandwich and a glass of milk. They’d always ask “Ya want some puh-men-ah cheese, baby?”. I never refused.
I’ve wanted to get this recipe up on here for a while and asked Grandmama how she made her pimento cheese so I could bring you the taste I remember so well. She immediately said “Oh, now if you want the best pimento cheese, you gotta use Velveeta.”
What better time to bring you this than during my time serving as a Velveeta Kitchenista? I hope you’ve been visiting Velveeta It!’s facebook page this month as myself and four other Mom bloggers present a new Velveeta recipe each day but if you haven’t you can still breeze on over there and catch up on all of the wonderful tips and recipes that have been shared so far! Just visit www.facebook.com/velveeta and be sure to drop a howdy to me there this Thursday when I’ll be hosting Tasty Traditions Thursdays!
You’ll need: 16 ounce block of Velveeta, Pimentos, and a little Mayo.
Grate your Velveeta. Now Velveeta is a little on the soft side so I found an easy way of doing this. You remember play-doh? Just get your grater out and place the block of Velveeta against it and press into the grater. It comes out the other side quick and easy as can be and ends up being a lot less work than grating a block of cheddar.
Dump in a jar of drained pimentos. I used the small jar which is about 2 ounces.
Add about 1/2 cup of Mayonnaise. You can add more to taste if you like.
Stir that up well.
Grandmama doesn’t salt and pepper hers so I didn’t either. I found it to be utterly sublime as is but feel free to salt and pepper (and even garlic!) yours if you got a hankerin’ to.
Serve on a sandwich or crackers.
These are a standard at every party, too. There is nothing like little finger pimento cheese sandwiches with the crusts trimmed off to add an air of tradition to a gathering!
Did you eat pimento cheese growing up? Do you have a different recipe or a special Pimento Cheese memory?
Tell me about it in the comments!
Ingredients
- 16 ounce block Velveeta
- 2 ounce jar Pimentos drained
- 1/2 C Mayonnaise
Instructions
- Push Velveeta through a grater until all is grated in a bowl. Add Pimentos and Mayo. Stir well. Salt and pepper if desired. Serve on loaf bread.
Today’s quote is one of those that kinda hits you in layers. Hope you enjoy it!
“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”
St. Francis of Assisi
I made pimento cheese last week and my family was in heaven. We love it in sandwiches, on burgers, smeared on crackers and celery, and any way you can imagine. My cousins used to have a playhouse and my grandmother would make us pimento cheese sandwiches and wrap them in wax paper in the morning and we would take them to the play house for lunch. By lunchtime the cheese had gotten warm and soft and sooooooo good. Everytime I have homemade pimento cheese, I think of those wonderful carefree days.
I had no idea pimento cheese was a “southern” thing until I brought it up to my fiance, who’s from Iowa, and he had no idea what I was talking about. I made some with light mayonnaise, shredded cheddar, a ton of pimentos and black pepper, and a little bit of diced celery. I haven’t had pimento cheese in years and this was the first time I’ve made it myself since moving out of my parents’ house. I’m happy to see I’m not the only one who enjoys it. :]
I LOVE PIMENTO CHEESE CANT WAIT TO TRY THIS
PLEASE KEEP THE GREAT RECIPES COMING.
Did I see you have a recipe for Grandma Jordon’s Pimento cheese and pea casserole or salad? I can’t remember which one, but what isn’t good with Pimento cheese! I love your web site, thanks for all the good ideas and recipes too.
Oh, I’d almost forgotten how much I love Pimento Cheese until I saw this recipe! My mom used to make it with mild cheddar, but I never liked it much — too sharp! Give me some good ole Velveeta and mayo and pimento (add a little black pepper and some sugar for *loving*) and I am one happy, happy camper! Have some in the fridge right now calling my name for a little “pocket sandwich” snack!
Pimento cheese is surely a southern “thang.” I grew up in rural west Tennessee many years ago, so my mother was probably “nearly ’bout” the age of your grandmother. They could have been great pimento cheese eating friends. My mother and my aunt, who lived about a quarter of a mile apart across the field and perhaps a mile by the road, had lunch together veeeeery often under the shade of a big oak tree. They would call each other on the phone and say, “Who is making the pimento cheese today?” I still love pimento cheese and serve it often when we have sandwiches or on crackers. One of my friends expects it every time she comes over. She once told me that she knew she could make it herself, but it was better to wait and have mine.
This is the recipe for pimento cheese that I grew up eating. I have NEVER found anyone else who has ever heard of it made this way but I love it! I don’t know where my mother found the recipe and she doesn’t remember either. The recipe called for the big can of evaporated milk, but we have found from experience that sometimes (not all the time)it would be to runny if we used the whole can and would have to add a little more cheese…but then other times it would be too thick without the whole can. You just kinda have to “play” with it as you make it.
1 tall can evaporated milk
1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard (opt)
1 (7 oz.) jar pimentos, drained & chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash cayenne pepper (opt)
Heat approximately 3/4 can milk in a double boiler. Add cheese to hot milk. Stir until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Cool, stirring occasionally. Add remaining ingredients, blend thoroughly. Store in covered container in refrigerator. Keeps well for several weeks when refrigerated.