What is Pimento Cheese?
Pimento cheese is a nostalgic and much-loved Southern dip or spread that has this addictive quality to it I just can’t quite explain. Sure, there’s the luscious creamy base combined with the sweet, zing of pimento peppers and lots of cheddar cheese. But it’s more than that. It’s like you can taste the tradition in every bite.
If you spent any time in the South, as I did, you’ve probably had it alongside Ritz crackers or spread on your sandwich. It’s a staple. And while those are perfectly fine ways to enjoy pimento cheese, I wanted to see how to incorporate this humble classic into a dinner party menu.
Where does it come from?
Truthfully, I like so many others, assumed Pimento Cheese comes from the south. South Carolinians seem to have a particular affinity towards it. But even where I grew up, in Virginia, it was quite popular. So, you can imagine my shock to discover that this little ‘Southern tradition’ actually hailed from farmers in upstate New York. New York? Do they know that? That’s how the story goes anyway. It was apparently brought to us in the 1870’s when some farmers began making a soft cheese, modeled after a French cheese, at the same time as these delicious little peppers were being imported from Spain and became available in America for the first time. Cheers to good timing on that one! And if anyone is interested in learning more about the history behind it here’s a really good blog post that gives more on the details:
How do I incorporate it into a dinner party?
Whatever the case, Pimento Cheese certainly took off and became a crowd pleaser. But how do you use it on a more sophisticated level than just as a cheese and cracker or sandwich spread? Here’s a few ideas that come to mind and a recipe for you to try out on your friends and family:
- Pimento Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts (main dish) *see recipe below
- Add a dollop to a deviled egg mixture and pipe into your hardboiled egg base and then topped with a little crumble of bacon (appetizer or part of a brunch menu)
- Zucchini or Corn Fritters topped with a dollop of pimento cheese (side dish or appetizer)
- Mushrooms stuffed with chorizo, pimento cheese and breadcrumbs (appetizer)
- Breaded pimento cheese baked and then served on top of a seasonal salad – think warmed goat cheese croutons (salad)
- As a hostess gift for a dinner party you are attending, or, as a parting gift for your guests after a Southern themed brunch. I love these little glass jars for that purpose:
Send me your ideas and I’d love to incorporate into this blog posting!
Pimento Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts Recipe:
Ingredients:
Pimento Cheese:
- 1 1/4 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 oz jar pimentos, drained
- 2 teaspoons freshly diced Serrano pepper (about 1/2 a pepper)
- 2 Tablespoons freshly grated onion
- 1 large clove garlic, diced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Chicken:
- 1/2 lb. chicken breast per person
- Pimento cheese spread from above
- Handful of fresh baby spinach, chopped
- Canola oil
- Salt & Pepper
Method:
- Add all the ingredients for the pimento cheese spread to the bowl of a standing mixer with a paddle attachment (or to a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula). Mix well until combined. Cover and refrigerate.
- Preheat oven to 375. Rinse chicken breasts and pat them completely dry.
- If breasts aren’t an even thickness, then pound them down a bit by covering them with a piece of plastic wrap to protect the flesh from tearing and using a mallet or rolling pin to flatten. Not too much, just enough to make it easier to stuff and ensure an even cooking time.
- Next, placing your hand on top of the chicken and carefully slicing across the middle of the breast until you can open the chicken like a book. Season both inside and outside of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Slather a generous amount of pimento cheese onto both sides of the inside of the chicken. Add spinach and secure with toothpicks.
- Heat a cast iron skillet on the stove top on medium to medium high and add in a little oil. When hot, brown chicken on both sides to achieve a nice crust. Then transfer chicken to oven and cook until 160-165 internal temperature. Approximately 10 minutes depending on how thick the chicken and how long you browned them first. Remove the toothpicks before serving and slice them on the diagonal for a pretty presentation,
