Pimento Cheese Panini… say that with me. Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? I have to make a confession that for the longest time I wouldn’t touch pimento cheese. My mom and my husband love it, but I just couldn’t bring myself to eat it. Then one day while we were eating at Newk’s, my husband insisted that I try their Pimento Cheese sandwich. Well, as much as I hated to admit it, I loved it. Being the foodie that I am, I knew that I had to come home and try to make something similar. I mean how could you NOT love all the melted cheesy goodness. My mouth is watering just typing this post and looking at that picture!!
- 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 8 oz. monterey jack cheese, grated
- 2 oz. (or half of 4 oz. jar) diced pimentos, drained
- ¼ c. mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- 2 slices of ciabatta or french bread
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- Grate your cheddar cheese and monterey jack cheese and put into a medium size bowl.
- Add mayo to the grated cheeses. Then add in the drained diced pimentos and garlic powder.
- Mix very well.
- Chill for 3-4 hours. This really helps the flavors blend well.
- Heat up your panini maker or skillet on the stove.
- Cover one side of each piece of bread lightly with butter.
- Spoon and spread pimento cheese spread onto the non-buttered side of bread.
- Place butter side of bread face down into the skillet or panini maker.
- Place the other piece of bread on top with butter side facing up.
- After bottom of sandwich begins to brown, flip over. Grill until both sides are your grilled to your liking.
- For a panini style in a skillet, place a heavy pan or saucer on top of the sandwich while it grills to flatter the sandwich.
- Enjoy!
It was a long time before I would try pimento cheese too. Didn’t matter how often it showed up, my answer was always no. Then a good friend made a pimento cheese dip that he insisted I try.
would love to try it on a sandwich. ..all melt and rich. Looks delicious!