Pimento Cheese

Share this post

I read an interesting fact the other day. Do you know why some eggs have really bright yellow yolks and some have more orangey yolks? The resulting yolk color depends on what kind of feed the hens eat. Who knew?

If you know me in real life, you would know that I do not like mayonnaise. Not even dislike, maybe more like a phobia. I have never had a jar of mayo in my house, that is how serious my dislike is. So I am pretty sure that my friends and family will be scratching their heads when they read today’s post. I made mayonnaise. And I am making a recipe that calls for mayo. I even lived to tell about it. This is even the first Baked Bree recipe to include it as an ingredient.

So why did I make this you ask? Because I wanted to see if I could do it. And you know what, it was really easy to make. The key is to be patient. You have to dribble the oil into the food processor (you could also use a blender or an immersion blender) very, very, slowly for the mayonnaise to emulsify. It was no big deal. My sister didn’t like mayo either until she made her own (for this recipe, as a matter of fact) so maybe this will be a gateway mayo for me, who knows?

My mother-in-law loves pimento cheese, and my mom and sister had raved about this recipe, so I figured that I would give it a try and make it for her when she comes to visit. My husband said that she would approve. My husband also said that he has many memories of pimento cheese, and it was always slathered in between two pieces of white bread. It is a requirement that it has to be white. I think that it would make an incredibly gooey and delicious grilled cheese, and have seen it served on hamburgers a lot lately. But it would also be great with some crackers and glass of wine.

I think that one of the reasons that mayo weirds me out so much is the raw egg factor. But I used Safe Eggs, and don’t have to worry about it. They are fully pasteurized.

Homemade Mayonnaise:

3 Safe Egg egg yolks
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dixie Crystals sugar
Cayenne pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups canola oil

Pimento Cheese:

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped sage
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups shredded Colby cheese
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 (4-ounce) jar chopped pimentos, drained
Salt and pepper
Hot sauce

Start by making the mayonnaise. Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, vinegar, dry mustard, salt, sugar, and cayenne to the food processor.

Pulse a few times until combined.

Slowly, and I mean super slowly, drizzle the olive oil through the funnel with the food processor running.

Once all of the oil has been incorporated, you have mayo! Totally easy.
Quick tip – to make your cheese grate easier, put it in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes before you grate it.

To make the pimento cheese, add one cup of mayo to a large bowl. Add sage, lemon juice, dry mustard, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce and mix to combine. My mayo started to break a little, I whisked it and it came right back together. It happened because I got lazy at the end and added too much oil at once. If I was using the mayo for a sandwich or as a sauce, I would have remade it. But since I was mixing it with cheese, I was okay with the breakage.

Add drained pimento and shredded cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce, to taste.

Mix to combine. Serve with crackers. This recipe comes from Martha Hall Foose‘s Book, Screen Doors and Sweet Tea.

**I am a Brand Ambassador for Safe Eggs, and have been paid for this post. All opinions are my own.**