Pimento Cheese Grilled Cheese

I've been in a Southern mood lately. The cuisine is just so inviting! From Fried Green Tomatoes to beignets!! Today I'm going to enjoy another Southern delight, pimento cheese. The South knows comfort!! This cheese is ridiculously delicious!! The smokiness of the pimento is so amazing. Big flavor in such a tiny diced pepper. I love the bright deep red color of the pimento, very pleasing to the eye.

This cheese is full of full fat ingredients as to why this cheese is amazing!! Mayo, cream cheese are major players in this cheese. It's really simple to make. I made it in the food processor. I added puréed 1/2 of pimentos then add the  cream cheese and pulse until blended. Then add the cheese handful by handful and pulse until incorporated. Finally add the mayo and pulse until incorporated. Pour it out into a bowl and mix in the reserved pimentos and you're done! So easy!! 

You can totally just eat the cheese with crackers, but why not make it into a grilled cheese!! I took my favorite bread, sourdough, and did just that!! 

In order to get a crispy sandwich I spread butter to the outside, works every time. The cheese was oozing out! So exciting!! 

The outcome was so GOOD!!!!! 

This dish is definitely worth every sinful bite!! It's a must try!! 

Buen Provecho!!

8oz of shredded sharp cheddar

Place about half of the pimento into a small processor and puree.

Add 4 oz of cream cheese with pimento puree and process...

...Until it looks like this

Add cheese in batches and process until....

...it looks like this.

add mayo  & process until smooth

Yummy Pimento Cheese!

Slather bread with cheese, don't be greedy! 

Add butter to the outside for a crispy sandwich.

Griddle up or Pan up1

Until bread is brown & toasty and cheese is ooey gooey!

Such beauty!!!!

Look at that deliciousness! Gooey cheese & crispy bread! Perfection!

Pimento Cheese Grilled Cheese - yields about 1-2 cups of pimento cheese

Ingredients:

8oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
4oz Cream cheese, room temp
7oz pimento jar
1/4 cup Mayo
4 slices of Sourdough Bread
melted butter for grilling

Roadmap:

1. Puree 5 oz of pimentos in a small processor. Add cream cheese and process.

2. Add shredded cheese in batches and process. Add mayo and process until smooth.

3. Pour mixture into a bowl. Add remaining pimentos and mix well with a spoon.

4. Preheat griddle or non stick pan. Add a generous spoonful to all 4 slices of bread and make sandwiches. Brush melted butter to the outside bread, to ensure a crispy exterior.

5. Add buttered sandwiches to griddle and toast until golden brown.

6. Drain on a paper towel, let sit for for a couple of minutes, until its cool to touch.

7. Store remaining pimento cheese in an air tight container. Keeps good for 1 week. Enjoy!!! 

Fried Green Tomatoes

Nothing says the South like fried green tomatoes. They are quintessentially Southern. Since I haven't had the pleasure of visiting the south, I had my first bite in Portland, Oregon. It was in this locals' joint called Pine State Biscuits. The food was amazing! If you're visiting Portland be exceptional to yourself and stop by Pine State Biscuits, you won't be disappointed. The tomatoes were perfectly seasoned, crispy and a bit of sweetness. After all these years I can still taste them! They serve them with ranch dressing. I loved the combination. The buttery tangy of the dressing, saltiness of the crust and the subtle sweetness of the tomato; it was love at first bite!! I've been dreaming about those tomatoes and am reminded every time I watch the movie Fried Green Tomatoes! I love the movie and I love the dish! Doing both at the same time is the best!

It's amazing how simple these tomatoes can be but it's important to make sure that the tomato isn't watery. Watery equals soggy. Nobody wants a soggy fried green tomato. So be vigilant about wetness. To prevent that I salt my tomatoes first and let the water get sucked out and them dry them with a paper towel. After that comes the breading: cornstarch, egg and panko crumbs. Traditionally there is flour and cornmeal involved in the breading so if you want to go more traditional replace the cornstarch with flour and add cornmeal to regular breadcrumbs. I like the cornstarch because it helps with the crispiness.  I pair my fried tomatoes just like Pine State Biscuits, with ranch. These are so tasty with my ranch dressing!  I hope you give these a try! Simple Southern Goodness!

Buen Provecho!!

Salt, let stand for 10-15 minutes, pat dry with paper towel.

Coat with cornstarch, egg, then panko. Let them step up for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Fry in oil and butter, 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Serve immediately with some ranch for dipping.

Fried Green Tomato - 2-4 servings, appetizer

Ingredients:

1 Large Green Tomato, sliced
1/2 cup Cornstrach
1 egg
1/2-1 cup panko bread crumbs
Salt n Pepper
Oil & Butter for pan frying

Ranch Dressing for dipping

Road Map:

1. Place tomato slices onto a rack over a paper towel. Sprinkle about 1 tsp of salt and let the slices
    stand for 10-15 minutes, allowing the salt to draw out the extra juices.

2. While tomatoes are resting on the rack get the breading station ready. In the first dish add
     cornstarch with salt , 2nd dish beaten egg and 3rd panko crumbs.

3. Pat tomato slices dry with paper towels. Place slices, one at a time, into cornstarch coating both
 sides; dip in egg and then cover completely in panko.

4. Lay breaded tomatoes on a rack and let them set up for about 10 minutes.

5. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add oil & butter to pan. When butter bubbles carefully lay in tomatoes to fry, about 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

6. Placed fried tomatoes on a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately with the ranch. Enjoy!