Every summer picnic spread and church function my grandmother had a hand in when I was growing up was sure to have a big bowl of homemade pimento cheese somewhere! Her recipe was special; it was simple but complex, and even people that thought they hated pimento cheese loved hers. (Myself included!) There are lots of recipes that I will tinker with and make my own, but I don’t play around with her pimento cheese recipe. I use it as the inspiration for lots of other dishes that come out of my kitchen though like these pimento cheese muffins. I think she’d be pretty excited about that!
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Only 5 ingredients and a few minutes stand between you and the pimento cheese of your dreams!
Cheese|| At a young age, I noticed that my grandmother was a loyal brand gal like myself! I’d like to think that if she was still with us now she would fall in love with Tillamook cheese like I have. Tillamook has been using the same cheddar recipe for over 100 years – they are truly artisans and you can taste the difference in everything they make!
When my grandmother made her pimento cheese she would spend so much time and energy grating all of her cheeses. I have it SO easy! I simply combine a cup of Tillamook Farmstyle Thick Cut Sharp Cheddar Shredded Cheese with a cup of Tillamook Farmstyle Thick Cut White Cheddar Shredded Cheese and I’m done! My grandmother’s pimento cheese had thick shreds of cheese that would stand up to being mixed with the other ingredients, not break down and become homogenous like everyone else’s version I have ever tried. The taste and texture of giant shreds of cheese was always my favorite part of her recipe and Tillamooks Farmstyle Thick Cut Shreds allow me to replicate that without any of the work. WINNING!!!
Mayo|| In case you didn’t know, this is a very touchy subject in the south– people live and die by their mayo choices! Not even kidding – it can be a fierce battle! My grandmother used to make everything from scratch, so I imagine that is what she did with her pimento cheese. I, however, am not the biggest mayo fan at all, so since I literally only have one use for it, pimento cheese, I opt for a store bought brand that I really like. You use whatever brand you like or give the homemade version below a go. You really can’t go wrong!
Homemade mayo:
Combine 1 large egg yolk, 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds.
Using 1/4 teaspoon measure and whisking constantly, add 1/4 cup canola oil to the yolk mixture, a few drops at a time, for about 4 minutes. Gradually add another 1/2 cup canola oil in very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8 minutes (mayonnaise will be lighter in color). Cover and chill. Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
Peppers|| Pimento peppers are barely spicy at all – they actually register the lowest on the Scoville scale of all the peppers! Their mild, sweet flavor is the perfect companion for the white and sharp cheddar cheeses.
Top Secret Seasonings|| You only need 2 seasonings to make your pimento cheese stand out from the rest. Celery salt and garlic powder! Seriously, she didn’t use salt or pepper. I know, blew my mind too! It’s almost too simple – which is why I love it so much.
Now, that we have covered the fundamentals of making perfect pimento cheese, let’s talk about these pimento cheese muffins!
I bake a batch of muffins every couple of weeks and sometimes I like to throw a savory version in the mix like these pimento cheese muffins! They’re perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. On their own or paired with a bowl of soup, you really can’t go wrong.
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Ingredients
Pimento Cheese Muffins
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25-30 minutes
Yields: 18 muffins
For the pimento cheese:
1 cup Tillamook Farmstyle Thick Cut Sharp Cheddar Shredded Cheese
1 cup Tillamook Farmstyle Thick Cut White Cheddar Shredded Cheese
4 ounce jar pimentos, drained
1/4 cup mayo,
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
pinch of garlic powder
For the muffins:
2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
½ cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon celery salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, minced
1 1/2 cups pimento cheese
You will have a little pimento cheese left over to serve with the muffins!
Instructions
Pimento cheese:
Combine all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl, stir to combine. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Muffins:
Preheat the oven to 375°F and line muffin pans with liners. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl whisk the flour, cornmeal, salt, celery salt, baking powder, baking soda, Aleppo pepper and ground black pepper together. Set aide.
In a large mixing bowl whisk the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and jalapeno.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in the pimento cheese. Use an ice cream scoop to easily scoop muffin-size mounds of batter into each muffin cup then bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top and cooked through. Transfer to a rack to cool. The cheese will stick to the paper if you try to pull the muffin liner back while the muffins are hot. Allow them to cool before indulging, preferrably topped with more pimento cheese.
Notes
You will have a little pimento cheese left over to serve with the muffins!
