Pimento cheese

Pimento cheese

Pimento cheese on crackers
Type	Spread or relish
Place of origin	United States
Main ingredients	Cheddar cheese or processed cheese, mayonnaise, pimentos

Pimento cheese is a common food preparation in the Southern United States, a spread or relish made with cheese. It is affectionately known as "The caviar of the South." The basic recipe has few ingredients: sharp cheddar cheese or processed cheese (such as Velveeta or American cheese), mayonnaise or salad dressing,and pimentos, blended to either a smooth or chunky paste. Regional ingredients include cream cheese, salt and pepper, Louisiana-style hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, paprika, jalapeños, onions, garlic, and dill pickles.

Pimento cheese can be served as a spread on crackers or celery, scooped onto corn chips or tortilla chips, mixed in with mashed yolks for deviled eggs, added to grits, or slathered over hamburgers or hotdogs.

A pimento cheese sandwich can be a quick and inexpensive lunch, or it can be served as a cocktail finger food (with crusts trimmed, garnished with watercress, and cut into triangles) or rolled up and cut into pinwheels. It is also a common snack in the Philippines, where it is referred to as cheese pimiento.