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Georgia Quilt Project’s Favorite Pimento Cheese

By | Wednesday, February 1, 2006, 10:10 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Makes 4 cups Hands on: 7 minutes

When Harriet Hawkins carried a tray of her pimento cheese sandwiches to Quilt Day in Thomasville,little did she dream that Georgia Quilt Project members would immortalize her spread by voting it their favorite. “We tasted a lot of pimento cheese around the state, and I just really like this one,” says Anita Weinraub, head of the project. “This one wasn’t all smeary. It had a different consistency, and just grabbed us the right way.” The secret is in the jalapenos, says Hawkins, who created this dish about 10 years ago. “I think pimento cheese all by itself is kind of dull,” she says. “And you can always make something good by adding jalapenos.” Hawkins usually serves the recipe at functions at the Lapham- Patterson House in Thomasville, where she is a volunteer.

Ingredients

8 ounces Kraft extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno, coarsely grated

2 tablespoons coarsely grated onion

1 8-ounce jar pimentos minus 2 tablespoons, drained

2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

Cayenne pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine cheeses, onion, pimentos and jalapenos in a medium bowl. Add enough mayonnaise to bind,about 4 tablespoons. Stir together well and add cayenne pepper to taste.

Per 1/2-cup serving: 276 calories, 24 grams fat, 59 milligrams cholesterol, 370 milligrams sodium.

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