Southern-Style Lunch & Elise’s “Lighter” Pimento Cheese Recipe

Usually the Friday student lunch is all about trying new foods from other countries, but this week I decided to mix it up and share my southern culture with my students and friends. For anyone who has never been to the southern states, let me introduce you to our neck of the woods and particular cuisine:

The REAL southern states are in deep red. (Thank you Wikipedia for the image!)

These are some traditional southern foods

Top from R-L: Skillet Cornbread, Fried Okra, Chicken and Dumplings
Bottom from R-L: Collard Greens, Shrimp and Grits, and Boiled Peanuts

We didn’t have any of these for Friday lunch but we did have fried chicken, deviled eggs, pigs in a blanket, red velvet cupcakes, and my absolute favorite, pimento cheese.

Here is my Easy “Lighter” Pimento Cheese Recipe:

Ingredients:

2-cup bag of reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar
2-cup bag of reduced fat shredded colby jack
2 oz. jar of diced pimentos with liquid (usually found near the olives; be sure they are diced very small)
3 heaping tbsp. light mayo
1/2 tsp. season salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl using a spoon to blend all ingredients in the mayo
Add additional mayo, salt, and/or pepper if desired
Chill for an hour before serving
Serve on crackers or as a sandwich