Our son and DIL live in Augusta, Georgia. Whenever we visit them, we always take a day for us all to visit and explore the beautiful town of Aiken, South Carolina. At one lunch there, I saw a Pimento Cheese Sandwich featured on the menu. Having never eaten pimento cheese before, I ordered it. It had an interesting flavor. Tasty, but not something I’d eat often. DH took one bite and renamed it ”Heart Attack on a Bun”(LOL).

Aiken is a beautiful city Lynn, as is Augusta.

I'm surprised so many have never heard of pimento cheese?! I don't consider it southern either, retro does seem to fit the bill.

People eat so many different things, even in the same area. I know many who like collard greens, but I cannot do it. My dad loved greens with plenty of vinegar (barf!). Boiled peanuts are nasty, greasy things!!

mtn, you can really impress your Southern guest by making a batch of mini angel biscuits, a scrumptious cross between a regular biscuit and a Parker House roll. They would be a perfect companion for your housemade pimento cheese spread.

Oh, you might want to consider big jar of Pat Conroy's pickled shrimp. Oh my goodness!

LOL, now y'all know why I have to google the food you are cooking. I grew up eating pimento cheese, fried chicken, turnip greens cornbread, biscuits, and etc. I can make it in my sleep. I was made to feel stupid one time when I kept asking what made minestrone what it was. It just seemed like a vegetable soup.

There is not one recipe for pimento cheese.

The basic is grated cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, and pimento.

I like mild cheddar, Blue Plate Mayonnaise and pimento.

The stuff people add like jalapeno, onion, spices, etc, I do not like. Every one that has ever made it, has their own twist. I would not be exaggerating to say that there may be five million way to make it.

Like Tina Marie, I've lived in the south my entire life, love cheese, but I absolutely hate pimento cheese. Just the thought of eating it almost makes me gag.

I don't think pimento cheese is a strictly southern thing, either. Am I the only one who remembers Kraft Pimento Cheese Spread in those little glass jars you could use as juice glasses when empty ? Borden made it, too, and also in little glass "juice" jars. Actually, I had never heard of pimento cheese until I attended a high school where the sandwiches were served at lunch. That school is where I learned that I hated the nasty stuff.

I didn’t know you could buy it already made until I was middle aged.

rhizo - I haven't had that pickled shrimp in ages. It's delicious. It's like a Southern ceviche.

I actually have only had PC sandwiches cut like "tea sandwiches", however I've seen them the other way also. I think they are served at Southern luncheons as "tea sandwiches" with the crust cut off.

Benne wafers for a Charlestonian!

Palmetto Pawley’s Island brand Pimento cheese is the best. We love the jalapeno type. we will have it with pretzels, triscuits, any type of cracker. Can also make a grilled cheese with it. But if I was serving for company I’d make little canapes or else maybe small slider rolls.

I recall many years ago visiting Mammoth Cave. There was a - don't know if it still exists -- an underground cafeteria wit a very limited menu: pimento cheese sandwiches and canned string beans.

Darn it. I had to go make a Kroger order for delivery after reading this thread. Doing keto and this is allowed. I will eat it with pork rinds since bread and crackers is a no go. It is also really good as a dip with Fritoes. It doesn't take but 2 or 3 chips to be satisfied.

Please don't use the pre-shredded in the bag cheese. Does not make a good pimento cheese w/ the cornstarch coating they put on it.

The big thing right now down here in NC/SC is putting PC on burgers. That does NOT sound good to me.

Boiled peanuts are good, but don't even think of trying to make them the first time for a guest, especially for a Southerner. Besides, you really need green peanuts, and it's probably too early for up north for them. Most people I know just buy them from stands rather than making them at home as it takes a while in a big pot or a crockpot.

Ida, I can relate! I worked before we moved here, then had babies and when they went to school I was a legal secretary in the next town over, about 6,000 people. It still has a nice downtown.

My first day and first lunch break and I had no idea where to go because I didn't want to drive, so I took a walk and saw a pharmacy and it had a sign for lunch. I went inside, not crowded, sat down at the one diner style long counter. I saw tuna salad sandwich which is my true love so that's what I ordered, freshly made, small town and all. :) Oh my, it was delicious. First time I had a toasted white bread with tomatoes tuna sandwich and now I always toast it.

First time I ever ate out alone and I found it so peaceful I kept going back.

Okay so I was at my local Whole Foods tonight and I was just curious. They had PC! I decided to buy it and try it before I made some (it is only one of many things that will be on my appetizer spread for tomorrow night)

Well, in the spirit of fusion cuisine, i had it on lentil chips, LOL. It is very good. A bit sharper and spicier than I expected. I see no reason to make it, other than maybe the price!

Pal 😂

I had a pimento sandwich at Star Drug store in Galveston (the oldest drug store in Texas), sat at the counter and had chips and a coke with it. It was fun! Had always read about pimento sandwiches and lunch counters. Little things!

Apparently, PC originated in the farm areas of NYS. Interesting, isn't it? I grew up having it as a child in Central NYS and I know that my grandmother had a recipe.

$11 for 6 ounces? Yikes! And yet, it’s sold out. Just how much did you buy, mtn??

Bpath, I know really… Of course I didn’t buy it from that site… I don’t think it means it’s sold out I just think it means they don't really sell it that way anymore (online). Apparently it’s made with some sort of award-winning cheese... ?

That Sweet Grass Dairy is appealing, I did not know there was Barn Free Cows but good for all.

The website has nice recipes and the Baked chicken with Pimento cheese, duh easy sounds good.

Bumblebeez, I agree that Baked chicken with Pimento chees does look good.

Too bad there is none left. It was pronounced exemplary by DD's Southern beau as well as our Texan guests who also have knowledge of such things. Oh and I would def buy it again, at least this variety. It was very fresh tasting.

If you have Fresh Market supermarkets near you, they have really good store made PC in their deli section. Well, at least here it good! :) Not too mayo-ey. Some places use too much mayo for me, and I really like mayo.

Glad it was good and it worked out. At $11 a bit steep for PC, but i might give it a try next time I wander into Whole Foods. I’ll stick with my favorite Palmetto for now.

The first year our cookbook club was together, we cooked from Frank Stitt’s Southern Table. Without a doubt, one of our favorite recipes was ”Miss Verba’s Pimento Cheese.” Even though I find roasting the red peppers a total pain, it is worth it. Here is a link to the recipe and a comment on Miss Verba https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2006/06/10/miss-verbas-pimiento-cheese

I usully have pimento cheese in my fridge. I can’t imagine life without pimento cheese!

Outside, I don't recall the price, but I think it was a bit less than $11 in WF; that price just came up when i googled the product. : )

Oh even better, Mtn!

Bbstx, that recipe from Frank Stitt makes me swoon! I don’t know if I’d have the patience to roast my own peppers but oh my!

OP, I’ve been known to roast several peppers at a time and freeze the extras to use later. They are much easier to chop when they are still a bit frozen! It is worth it!

I thought of this thread — was reading a book based in London, and one of the characters ordered a ”cheese salad sandwich” for lunch.

I researched and found a large variety of recipes for them (just like with anything, people have their own versions). Some sound similar to our basic pimento cheese, others have all kinds of different ingredients.

https://www.littlesugarsnaps.com/cheese-savoury-recipe-afternoon-tea-sandwiches/

Anyway, fun looking through them all. I might try a few versions. Many have crunchy vegetables in them and I like that idea. I’m not a big fan of mushy consistencies.

Would love to hear from any Brits what their version is.

If you prefer to drink your ~ PC, there is this that I just stumbled onto:

Velveeta Martini (get a load of the photo — you will either swoon or ——)

https://apple.news/ATfcTt2rCSUevJlBSNrPMnw

This $15 Velveeta Martini Is Now on the Menu at Restaurants Across the Country

Red peppers and other colors are super easy to roast if you seed and flatten them and run them under the broiler on a piece of aluminum foil.

Jinx, the classic cheese sandwich in the UK is cheese with Branston pickle.

I am not a fan, and that puts it mildly.

For the uninitiated, Branston Pickles are a kind of chutney. If you think of mango chutney when you think of chutney, or pear and cranberry chutney with ginger, you are nowhere in the neighborhood of what this is.

Branston Pickle

Branston Pickle is made from a variety of diced vegetables, including swede (rutabaga), carrots, onions and cauliflower pickled in a sauce made from vinegar, tomato, apple and spices.[9] In recent years high-fructose corn syrup has replaced sugar in the product sold in the American market. Sugar is still used in the British version.[10][failed verification]

Branston Pickle is sweet and spicy with a chutney-like consistency, containing chunks of vegetables in a thick brown sticky sauce.[9] It is commonly served as part of a ploughman's lunch, a popular menu item in British pubs.[11] It is also frequently combined with cheddar cheese in sandwiches, and many sandwich shops in the UK offer cheese and pickleas an option.[11] It is available in the standard 'chunky' version, a 'small chunk' variety, and a 'smooth' variety that is pureed, which makes it easier to spread onto bread; convenient squeeze-bottle packs are amongst the range. Branston also has flavoured pickles including Sweet Chilli and Beetroot flavoured pickle.[12]

Here is James May making a cheese sandwich.

@petalique that Velveeta martini evoked the ”or” response in me!!

Thanks, Zalco. Great video. 😄

Broil red peppers until they char, then put them in a bag while still hot. When they cool, the skin slips off easy peasy.

Bbstx, indeed.

”or.”

I know that the PC is a tongue and cheek ribbing, but I cannot admit to having affection for it or for Velveeta. An aquaintance uses a teensy dollop of Velveeta in something like whipped potatoes. I’ve read that even good chefs somr\etimes use drips and dashes of process foods to add a little something to their dish (umami?).

BTW, todaynI learned what a dirty and a filthy martini are. I love olives, seldom deink cocktails or mixed drinks anymore. But that ”dirty” mari i sounds good.

I don't make pimento cheese often, but when I do, I use red bell peppers that I roast and peel myself instead of jarred pimentos. I also add chile de árbol for heat - otherwise it is too bland for me.

@petalique, Kenji Lopez-Alt, author of The Food Lab and one of the main guys at Serious Eats, says highly recommends American cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches. However, he is picky about his American cheese. His go-to is Kraft American Deli Deluxe. Apparently it has a little bit of dairy in it as opposed to being totally ”processed cheese food,” or whatever the other American cheeses are called.

Wonder if he uses it as a dab of flavor or as the main cheese. I understand that there are certain food people had as children that hold a lot of emotional weight and comfort. Like a lot of kids in the 50s, I had my share of American ceeses and cheese foods with grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. But I’ve move on. I seldom indulge in grilled cheese sandwiches, but when I do, head for a more interesting choice of filler.

Lars, agree, roasted red bell peppers are much better than jarred pimentos.

My family would occasionally buy pimento cheese to fill celery hearts. I have never cared much for it. I didn’t know that there were regions ofthe country where people are enthusiastic about it.

mtn, how did your DD’s beau like what you prepared?

I bought a gourmet version from Whole Foods made by a co. called Sweetgrass Dairy.

Our signature recipe made from shredded Thomasville Tomme, Sir Kensington Mayo mayonnaise, Spanish piquillo peppers and other spices. The Pimento cheese has been recognized by the American Cheese Society with a 1st Place award and received a 99 out of 100 in the Flavored Cheese Category. Highly addictive!

It was a strong thumbs up from all guests, including Texans and Southerners with PC experience. I liked it.

Kenji uses American cheese as the main cheese. In the article I read, he said that nothing else melts like American cheese. However, he will also use cheddar or gruyere. He thinks most other cheeses are okay as add-ins but the main cheese needs to melt nicely. Cooks Illustrated had an article once on grilled cheese sandwiches. They recommended grating cheddar for better melting. Can you tell I’m a grilled cheese aficionado? 😉

Back to pimento cheese, I can’t remember ever not having it in the house. Mother’s standard picnic fare was fried chicken, pimento cheese sandwiches, potato salad, and a watermelon. Her recipe for pimento cheese was grated ”rat cheese,” Domedary chopped pimentos, drained, Miracle Whip (Mom despised mayonnaise, especially homemade mayo), salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar.

Thanks, bbstx. It sure does melt quickly. I wonder if that is what McD and BK use.

I only make grilled cheese in our panini maker, but i don't find an issue with cheese melting ... usually we use cheddar, gruyere or muenster

Mtn, how did you serve it? (Sorry if I missed that detail.

Southern Living lists Trader Joe's pimento cheese as one of their top 5 "pimiento" cheeses. I don't believe I've ever noticed it a TJ's but I will look next time.

Zalco, I love Branston Pickle, and use it with charcuterie. My local World Market carries it.

I suspect McD and BK use some sort of ”processed food” that is the right shade of yellow but has little relation to cheese.

I had a 5-cheese grilled cheese at a micro-brewery pub that was fantastic. I don’t know what the 5 cheeses were. I think maybe parm was on the outside of the bread. It was a special and I’ve not seen it there since!

To keep this topical, I’ve grilled pimento cheese before. DH’s mother used to make grilled pimento cheese all the time.

This thread has gotten me into soooo much trouble. It caused me to start craving pimento cheese. So I went to a local sandwich shop that makes great pimento cheese. My plan was to buy a pint of pimento cheese and a pint of chicken salad which is divine. Both are made in-house, fresh daily. Somehow, when I got home, I had 2 pints of pimento cheese and no chicken salad! I’m now researching ”how to freeze pimento cheese.”

Mom despised mayonnaise, especially homemade mayo)

My mother loved Hellmann's, but home made mayonnaise was of the devil to her too. She said she had nothing but horrible memories of oily mayonnaise covering salmon growing up.

It was one of several spreads/dips/ I had crudites and a variety of crackers. I liked it on Melba toast.

I make mayonnaise quite frequently, partly because it is so easy, but I like to use half grape seed oil and half olive oil, and I always use fresh lemon juice, since I get plenty of lemons from my trees. I often add fresh garlic to make aioli, and I only make aioli with homemade mayo.

I absolutely hate Miracle Whip, as it is too sweet, and I would never add sugar or anything sweet to mayonnaise, but that it my own personal preference. I've heard that MW mixed with Phillips' MoM makes a good facial, if you have problem skin, and so I have never tried it.