← Nouns Cooking · American

Ingredients

• 225 g extra-mature cheddar, finely grated
• 115 g Cream cheese, softened
• 8 tbsp Mayonnaise
• 115 g Diced pimentos (jarred), drained and patted dry
• ¼ tsp Garlic powder
• ¼ tsp Onion powder
• ¼ tsp Cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp Hot sauce (optional)
• ¼ tsp Black pepper
• salt, to taste
• 4 celery sticks, cut into batons, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Beat the cream cheese and mayonnaise in a bowl with a wooden spoon until smooth.
2. Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, hot sauce and pepper.
3. Fold in the cheddar and pimentos until evenly mixed but still a little chunky. Taste and add salt only if needed; the cheese is already salty.
4. Chill for 30 min if you can, so it firms up and the flavours blend, then serve with crackers and celery, or spread thickly on white bread.

Tips

• Grate the cheese yourself on the fine side of the grater: pre-grated cheese makes a drier spread.
• Many Southern recipes add Worcestershire sauce, but it contains anchovy, so it’s left out here to keep the spread vegetarian; serve with gluten-free crackers if needed.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Once Upon a Chef The Modern Proper