Pimento Cheese

Creamy, spreadable, intense, and full of sweet peppers, pimento cheese is a versatile dish, as it works on a water cracker, with bread, or as a dip for chips or crudité. In addition to the American South, cheese spread appears in a variety of other food cultures, most notably in Europe, and is served in similar ways. Inspired, we borrowed from the French and German traditions by adding a little white wine and some caraway seeds, both of which amplify that quintessential bold cheese flavor. We also call for sliced pimentos, instead of diced, to ensure each bite gets a nice plump pepper to balance the savory cheese. If you can’t find them, no worries. You can substitute with diced one-to-one. 

Ingredients

1          cup      grated cheddar cheese 

3/4      cup      grated Gouda cheese  

1/4      cup      grated Gruyère cheese 

1/2      cup      mayonnaise    

4          ounces  jarred sliced pimentos, drained          

1          tablespoon      dry white wine           

1          teaspoon          grated white onion     

1          teaspoon          finely chopped dill     

1/2      teaspoon          caraway seeds 

1/4      teaspoon          Piment d'Esplette       

1/4      teaspoon          fleur de sel     

1/4      teaspoon          freshly ground black pepper  

Method

1. Mix all of the ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until incorporated.

2. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.  

Notes For Pimento Cheese 

• Piment d’Esplette is a type of ground red pepper powder from the part of the Basque region located in France. Mildly hot, it adds more of a sweet smokiness rather than a lot of heat. Because it can be hard to find in major grocery store chains, we order ours from Amazon.