Pimento Goat Cheese Spread

Pimento Goat Cheese Spread is a tangy, creamy twist on a classic Southern staple.  And it’s a no wonder. It’s addictive, delicious and tastes great on just about anything you put it on.  It’s perfect as an appetizer, spread on white bread or topped on a burger. 

Raise your hand if you are a cheese head like me?  No, I’m not talking about a Green Bay Packers cheese head (Chicago Bears Fan here!)  I’m talking the I can’t stop and won’t stopping put all forms of cheese on anything and everything in sight, kind of cheese head.

I’m not exactly sure when I first came in contact with “The caviar of the South” but I know we use to have it in the fridge all the time when I was little. My mother is from the South, therefore at any given moment you would find a jar of Kraft Pimento Cheese spread in our fridge.  Every Thanksgiving and Christmas it would be spread onto celery and displayed on a veggie platter in the center of the table. We’d also spread it on crackers and eat it straight off the spoon. Man, did we love that stuff.  Let me tell you though. The stuff you buy in the jar is remarkable different from the true pimento cheese spread you’ll find in the South.

Southerners sure know what they are doing when it comes to food.  Fried Chicken, corn bread, grits, barbecue, creole, you name it, they’ve got it going on down there. I mean taking sharp cheddar cheese and mixing it with mayonnaise, pimentos and spices…you had me at cheese.  The stuff in the jar does not compare to homemade.  Sure, you can quickly pick one up when you are at the store, but for 5 more minutes you can make this at home yourself and it tastes MUCH better, promise.

One of the greatest things about pimento cheese spread besides that it has cheese, is that you can literally put it on anything.  Like I said earlier, we put it on celery when we were little.  It was probably my mom’s way of getting us to eat those green stalks. It’s also enjoyed on crackers, sandwiched between two pieces of white bread and my favorite, on a burger.

We were down in Austin, TX a few months ago and I first experienced pimento cheese on a burger at a wonderful restaurant we ate at called, Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill.  Hands down, best meal of my life.  I honestly have never walked away from a meal being so in awe and still talking about it 3 months later.  Make sure to check it out next time you’re in Austin.  BTW, if you have the chance, go to Austin.  What an amazing city full of delicious food, awesome bar scene, plenty of cool sites and wonderful people.

Anyways, back to the pimento cheese on my burger.  It.was.so.good. It also had bacon on it which took it over the top and added the perfect amount of salty bite.  I always make pimento cheese paninis at home but for some reason, and do not ask me why, I never thought to put bacon on them.  Now, we never forget the bacon.

For this pimento cheese spread, I made it by combining two recipes.  I’m in love with Bobby Deen, hi Bobby if you’re reading this {yeah right}.  A few months ago, I purchased one of his cookbooks, ” target=”_blank”>From Mama’s Table to Mine.  I absolutely love this cookbook.  This book is about taking southern dishes he grew up with his mama cooking and making them lighter.  They show the difference in nutrition facts between his mom’s version and his and my what a difference.  One of the first recipes in the book is pimento cheese spread and also happens to be the first recipe I tried in the book.  It was so good, after the first batch was gone, I immediately had to make another to store in the fridge.

I was perusing Food Network magazine and Katie Lee had a goat cheese pimento spread recipe that’s featured in her new cookbook, ” target=”_blank”>Endless Summer, that I am just dying to own. that caught my eye. I love goat cheese and Katie Lee and Food Network, obviously.  Anyways, so I didn’t want to completely steer away from the southern staple so I decided to marry the two of them together.  Match made in pimento goat cheese spread bliss.  The creamy tangy goat cheese and smoked cheddar added depth of flavor and punched up the flavor.  Try it and then you can thank me, Bobby and Katie…or just me 😉

Print

Pimento Goat Cheese Spread

Prep 10 mins

Total 10 mins

Author Strawberry Blondie Kitchen

Yield 1 1/2 cups

Pimento Goat Cheese Spread is a tangy, creamy twist on a classic Southern staple.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces goat cheese, softened
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used Neufchâtel)
• 6 tablespoons mayonnaise (I used light)
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 3 Tablespoons jarred pimentos, drained
• 4 ounces smoked cheddar, freshly grated (not pre-packaged) *See note
• 2 ounces shark cheddar, freshly grated (not pre-packaged)*
• A Pinch each of salt and freshly grated black pepper

Instructions

1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the goat cheese and cream cheese until fluffy.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve with crackers, celery, radishes, between 2 pieces of white bread or on top of your burger.

Notes

*For the cheeses, purchase blocks of cheese and grate your own. The pre-packaged stuff you buy in the store has additives. Stick to freshly grated for better quality and taste.Adapted from: From Mama's Table to Mine Bobby Deen andPimento Goat Cheese Spread, Katie Lee

Courses Spread

Cuisine Appetizer

Oh and stay tuned because on Friday, I’m bringing you a recipe featuring this awesome pimento goat cheese spread that you will not want to miss!

Enjoy and if you make this recipe, please share a photo on social media and hashtag it #strawberryblondiekitchen  I love to see your versions!