Pâté of the South
No Lowcountry gathering is complete without this tangy and creamy classic.
Want to impress your out-of-town friends? Whip up this amazing Southern pimento cheese recipe from chef Lynn Michelle (aka The East Coast Chef). Michelle recently dazzled LOCAL Life team members, serving this Southern classic at our most recent “Lunch & Learn” event. Serve it as a spread on crackers or celery. Scoop it onto corn or tortilla chips. Get creative by mixing it with mashed yolks or deviled eggs. Add it to grits. Slather it over hamburgers or hotdogs. When it comes to the pâté of the South, you can’t go wrong.
The East Coast Chef – Southern pimento cheese
Ingredients (serves 12)
1 1/2 cups Hellman’s mayonnaise
3 cups cream cheese, softened
4 cups, sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion flake
1/4 tablespoon garlic powder
1 cup pimentos (roasted peppers), chopped
1/2 cup pimento juice from jar of roasted peppers
1/2 cup cold water
Directions [1] In a mixer, cream together mayonnaise, cream cheese, onion flake, salt, pepper, garlic powder; then add chopped pimentos. Continue to blend slowly. This will create the creaminess mixture. [2] Slowly add shredded sharp cheddar cheese while mixing on low to medium alternately with pimento juice. Note: More water may need to be added for desired texture of pimento cheese.
Pro tip: Use sharp cheddar cheese. Anything else will prevent the nice pungent flavor which you looking for in your pimento cheese. The onion flake is key as well, and since it’s dehydrated, you may have to add a bit more water. You also may use block sharp cheddar cheese and shred it yourself for creamier pimento cheese. Why, you ask? Because the pre-shredded sharp cheese has a dry coating on the shreds to prevent them from sticking together. Hence the need for some extra moisture from the pimento cheese juice and water.
Grow your own
Want the freshest pimento peppers for your pimento cheese? Simply grow them in your backyard. The small plants are super easy to grow here and do well in full sun, either in the ground or in containers. They are excellent for canning, casseroles, garnishes, and of course, in the classic cheese spread.
Awesome & easy appetizer
“Watermelon + feta is one of our favorite combinations of all time. Skewer them with a drizzle of balsamic glaze on top and you’ve got an easy, impressive appetizer everyone will love.” — Lynn Michelle, The East Coast Chef
A cut above
Watermelon Slice & Serve
No longer is cutting watermelon a clumsy task. With the Watermelon Slice & Serve from IPAC, you’ll make precision cuts with a simple slice of the tool. Available at Le Cookery. $19.99
