Cheese Pimiento Spread

The Filipino adaptation of the American pimiento cheese. It’s comfort food for a generation that was raised by parents who grew up during the American colonial period. While its American ancestor has mayo and the traditional Filipino version has Edam, our family’s recipe of cheese pimiento spread is made with Parmesan, cream cheese, cheddar, roasted and skinned pimiento, and butter.

Yes, butter. Not mayo. Trust me, cheese pimiento with butter tastes better.

I grew up with a semi-permanent supply of cheese pimiento in the fridge. My mother, the non-cook, would often prepare the spread and my brother and I could just take it out of the fridge and spread it on bread whenever we were hungry. The mixture was equal parts of butter and shredded cheese, a small can of chopped pimiento and sugar.

Back then, our cheese pimiento spread was always made with Kraft cheddar cheese. I don’t know whether that’s because it was the only thing available or because it was the only brand that my mother was familiar with.

Today, fortunately, our generation is well-acquainted with other varieties of cheese and, more importantly, we have easy access to them. When I make cheese pimiento spread these days, I use three kinds of cheese — Parmesan, cream cheese and cheddar. The spread is creamier and the flavors are fantastic.

Cheese Pimiento Spread

Course: Breakfast, Sandwiches

Cuisine: Modern Filipino

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 3 cups

Author: Connie Veneracion

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 175 grams butter - softened
• ▢ 175 grams cream cheese - softened
• ▢ 175 grams Parmesan - finely grated (feta is great too!)|
• ▢ 175 grams sharp cheddar - shredded
• ▢ ½ cup chopped pimiento - preferably roasted and skinned (see notes below)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sugar

Video

Instructions

• In a large bowl, mix the butter, cream cheese and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Do not overmix though because you don’t want the butter cream to separate from the fats.
• Add the Parmesan, cheddar and pimiento. Stir until blended.
• Spread on bread. Enjoy!

Cook’s Notes

Roasted pimiento is really best as the smokiness add so much in terms of aroma and flavor. You can use roasted fresh pimiento (see how), or the kind that comes in jars.

If you can’t get roasted pimiento and you use canned, choose skinless pimiento because the skins have a nasty way of getting stuck on the roof of the mouth which isn’t a pleasant sensation at all.

This is an updated version of a recipe that was originally published in June 8, 2011.

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