Pimento cheese sandwiches
Sharp cheddar, sweet red peppers and a little cayenne whipped into the creamy Southern spread, on soft bread with ripe tomato.
- 15 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $1.40 a serving
- 570 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
Dolly says: I’d make this on a weeknight. It’s on the table in 15 minutes.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 8 oz cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup roasted red peppers, finely chopped
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
- 8 slices white bread
- 1 tomato, sliced
From your pantry
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 570 calories, 19 g protein, 32 g carbs and 40 g fat, and costs about $1.40 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No cheddar cheese? Shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican blend cheese works.
- No hot sauce? Sriracha works.
- No tomatoes? Roma tomatoes work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the cheddar on the large holes of a box grater.
Grate. Grating means rubbing food across the holes of a grater to make fine shreds or flakes. It spreads cheese, garlic or ginger evenly through a dish so it melts right in.
How you’ll know: Even shreds fall off the back of the grater, and you stop while the piece is still big enough to hold.
Dolly’s tip: Grating a block yourself makes it creamy. Bagged shreds are coated in starch and stay stiff.the roasted peppers and them dry with a paper towel.
Finely chop. Finely chopping means cutting food into small pieces, a little bigger than minced, about the size of a lentil. Small pieces spread their flavor through the dish and cook quickly.
How you’ll know: Nothing is bigger than a lentil, and the pile looks like confetti rather than paste.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
In a bowl, the cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, cayenne, pepper and hot sauce until smooth.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
the cheddar and peppers until it is evenly mixed and spreadable.
Fold. Folding means mixing gently by scooping from the bottom and turning it over the top, instead of stirring hard. It keeps light mixtures airy and soft things like berries or herbs in one piece.
How you’ll know: You use slow, wide strokes and stop as soon as there are no streaks left.
Spread it thickly on 4 slices of bread, add tomato slices and close with the other slices.
Dolly’s tip: It keeps 4 days in the fridge. For lunches, pack it in a container with crackers and celery sticks for dipping instead of bread.Food safety: Put leftovers in the fridge within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat until steaming hot, 165°F.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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30-minute dinners ›Vegetarian dinners ›What to make with cheddar and cream cheese ›What to make with tomatoes and cheddar ›