Pimiento Cheese

My grandmother planted pimientos in her garden this year as an experiment. In July she brought me a gallon-size zip-top bag full of the small, squat red peppers. I wasn't sure at first what to do with them. However, I decided to roast them, peel them, and chop them to make pimiento cheese, one of my favorite foods. It was a lot of work, so I was skeptical that the taste would be worth the effort. I'm happy to say that it was totally worth it! Grannie's pimientos gave this cheesy spread a much fresher taste than you get from the jar variety (those are still good too). I love pimiento cheese with crackers, on white bread and served kettle-cooked potato chips), as a grilled cheese with bacon, and as a baked dip. (Note: A food processor makes fast work of this recipe.) —PHH

Pimiento Cheese
16 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese (You can also use 8 oz. sharp Cheddar and 10 oz. white Cheddar.)
4 oz. diced pimientos (fresh or jarred)
1 Tbsp. finely minced onion
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Grate cheeses with grater blade in food processor. Spoon grated cheese into a large bowl. Place knife blade in food processor, return cheese to processor, and pulse until cheese is in small pieces. Spoon cheese back into large bowl.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients. (Note: I prefer a drier pimiento cheese; so depending on your preference, you may want to add more mayo.)