Never have I ever met a person that doesn’t like a grilled cheese. It was a childhood staple of mine and now my guilty pleasure as an adult. It’s an easy lunch option… and dinner too if you want! Lately, I’ve been into making pimento cheese grilled cheese. It’s so flavorful it makes a regular grilled cheese taste ordinary. Pimento cheese is basically shredded cheese, mayo, and pimentos. I like to add a little cayenne or jalapeños to mine to add in a spicy punch. By no means are those 2 ingredients necessary. I grew up not really eating pimento cheese. I thought it was “an old people snack”. Don’t ask me why… I obviously didn’t know how amazing it was! So I went to college at Ole Miss and it seemed like pimento cheese was everywhere I looked. It’s a southern thing for sure… but I feel like everyone needs a little pimento cheese in their life.
Making the pimento cheese grilled cheese is no different than a regular one. Butter, bread, cheese – put it in a pan till melty and golden brown. So simple and a good idea for a hot lunch or dinner. Ad as much, or as little pimento cheese as you like. I love mine super cheesy so I add a big helping!
A good classic lunch is a grilled cheese with tomato soup. I have a wonderful tomato basil soup recipe I’ll link below! Serve the two side by side and I promise you won’t regret it!
SMOKED GOUDA PIMENTO CHEESE GRILLED CHEESE
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 6 minutes
Total time: 21 minutes
Serves: about 1.5 cups pimento cheese
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 oz. smoked Gouda, shredded
- 6 oz. sharp white cheddar, shredded
- 4 oz. jar chopped pimentos, drained
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 oz. cream cheese
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
DIRECTIONS:
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse a few times. Scrape down the sides and pulse again till ingredients are mixed evenly together. (Can also mix by hand for a chunkier texture. I like mine more spreadable)
INGREDIENTS FOR GRILLED CHEESE
- 1 French loaf, cut into thick 1/2 inch pieces
- Butter, softened
- Pimento cheese, recipe above
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat a large pan to medium heat.
- Spread a layer of butter on one side peach half of bread.
- Spread a layer of pimento cheese on the other half.
- Cook in the hot pan for about 3-4 minutes a side or until the outside is golden brown and the pimento cheese is melted.