Picture Perfect Cooking

I have never been a huge fan of pimento cheese.  Ok, that is not quite right…I have never been a fan of store-bought pimento cheese.  My co-worker found the original recipe in the May 2010 issue of Southern Living magazine and adapted it to her taste.  I must say she has good taste!  This is creamy and cheesy, and the pecans are a wonderful crunchy surprise.  We ate this as sandwiches, with crackers and with veggies as a dip.  It is so good!  Try this on a hot summer day and I promise you will never buy pimento cheese in the store again!

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (I used light.)

4 oz chopped pimento peppers, drained

1 tsp Worcestshire sauce

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

1 cup chopped toasted pecans

8 oz block sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated

8 oz block mild cheddar cheese, largely grated

Note: If you can, shred your own cheese.  It makes a big difference in the texture and flavor.  The pre-shredded cheeses have ingredients to prevent clumping and that messes with the final product.

Toast the pecans in a 350 degree oven for 5-8 minutes to bring out the oil and flavor in the nuts. (I just set the oven to preheat to 350 and put the nuts in the oven while it is doing this.  That is usually enough time to toast them, but not burn them.)

Shred the cheeses, using different sides of the grater for different textures.

Combine all of the ingredients together and refrigerate up to 1 week. It won’t last that long though!