Pimiento or Pimento? They are both equally accepted. The former is the original Spanish term for mild cherry peppers. The latter is just how the term evolved. Is the latter a Southern term? I don't know. I do know that when I say it, it sounds like PUH-MEN-UH and I do spell it as pimento . However you spell it or say it, it is a delicious little pepper that adds flavor and color to a dish or a stuffed Manzanilla olive. Speaking of stuffed olives...
Quick story... Someone close to me (I will not name the person) with a very high IQ once asked, "So do they just take the pimentos out of the olives and put them in jars?" OMG you should have seen the expression on my face!! I just about died from laughter and disbelief. It was truly a "you've got to be kidding me" moment!!!😂
Ok, back to the cheese. How many variations of the classic pimento cheese are there? I have no clue, but I bet one could write a book just about pimento cheese (Wait, I just looked. There is one!). Some refer to it as the peanut butter of the South, but I like to think of it as the flavored butter of the South. You can do almost anything to or with a basic recipe. Add jalapeños, bacon, horseradish, buffalo sauce, onion, olive spread, chipotle sauce, etc...and/or change up the cheeses, like in this recipe. Once again, the possibilities are endless! Having said that, there is one thing that must remain in any recipe, a good amount of quality Cheddar cheese and mayonnaise (NOT the salad dressing stuff). The other thing that is an absolute must is the technique. What ever cheese you are using, grate or crumble it yourself. Step away from the bags of the pre-shredded stuff. There are stabilizers in there and they lend an off-putting taste to the end result. Another important tip is to let the cheese mixture set-up in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, especially if you are using add-ins or using different cheeses. This allows the flavors to develop.
In this particular recipe, the original called for adding pecans to the mixture, but I really like the side addition/option of the candied pecans. If you choose to "go-nuts", you get that whole sweet, savory, creamy and crunchy thing all-in-one bite. If you choose to stay in the nut-free zone, you still get a delicious mouthful of flavor. Along with the pecans, I like to serve this pimento cheese recipe with Blue Diamond Artisan Crackers; either flax seed or multi-seed.
