RECIPE: ZIPPY TWO CHEDDAR PIMENTO CHEESE

My mom would make Pimento Cheese for sandwiches, to stuff in celery for special occasions or to snack on with saltines… it was her go to for easy entertaining and it is still one of my favorites to this day. I've added a little extra zip with some Sriracha but if you don't have any, don't buy it just for this recipe. 

ZIPPY TWO CHEDDAR PIMENTO CHEESE

Difficulty: Easy   Prep Time: 15 minutes plus 1 hour

Cook Time: No cook recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 pound extra sharp cheddar cheese

½ pound sharp white cheddar cheese

½ cup mayonnaise plus more as desired

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon white pepper

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1- 4 ounce jar pimento or roasted red peppers, drained and diced small

3-4 drops Tabasco

1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon Sriracha

Chill the cheese in the freezer for 15 minutes to make it easy to grate. You can do this all in the food processor but I prefer the texture when I grate the cheese with a box grater and mix it all by hand because that is the way my mom did it. Grate the cheeses and place in a large mixing bowl. Drain and dice the pimento. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. If you prefer a smooth mixture, you can add more mayonnaise. Cover and refrigerate. Remove from the refrigerator for a bit prior to serving to allow it to soften so it is easy to spread.

RECIPE: CLASSIC DEVILED EGGS

You won’t go to a celebration down south and not find deviled eggs. Every holiday, picnic, barbeque, or funeral will have classic Southern deviled eggs. I like to twist it up a little and add toppings so guests can create their own flavor favorites. Almost anything tastes good sitting on top of a deviled egg! This is the classic deviled egg recipe I learned from my mom. My Wicked Deviled Eggs have a bit more heat.

CLASSIC SOUTHERN DEVILED EGGS

Category: Side Dish   Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 45 minutes including 17 minutes for the boiled eggs

INGREDIENTS

12 hard-boiled eggs

5-6 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

1/2  teaspoon kosher salt- you may want more depending on your taste

Black pepper to taste

Paprika for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Carefully cut the boiled eggs in half, saving the halves to stuff. Put the yolks into a glass bowl. Add the mayonnaise and mustard. I prefer a thicker consistency but add more or less mayo depending on the consistency you like. Use a fork to mash it all together until somewhat creamy; if there are some bits of egg peeking through, that’s ok. Add the salt, pepper and relish. Check the seasoning. You may want to add a bit more salt. Combine well.

Spoon the yolks into the egg whites or make a pastry bag from a plastic zip top bag. Spoon the mixture into the bag and push it into the corner and squeeze out the air. Snip the end and pipe nice little swirls onto your egg. I can do this so trust me, it’s not hard. Chill until serving time, at least 1 hour. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives.

Makes 2 dozen eggs.

LEARN HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT HARD-BOILED EGG FOR THIS RECIPE, WORKS EVERY TIME FOR EASY TO PEEL, PERFECTLY DELICIOUS EGGS.

Photo: Arden Photography