Pimiento Cheese Spread, Vermont Style

For her Pimiento Cheese Spread, Vermont Style, Marian Burros uses a combination of Cabot Clothbound cheddar cheese and Jasper Hill’s Landaff or Alpha Tolman. She often roasts her own sweet red peppers, but the jarred ones work just fine.
By / Photography By | November 21, 2016

About this recipe

This recipe first appeared in Cooking for Comfort. “Back in the ’70s and ’80s, Kraft used to make several popular spreads that came in a small jar which doubled as a juice glass. I thought it would be fun to see if I could make a decent version using higher-quality ingredients rather than processed Jack cheese. Now, almost everything in this recipe can come from Vermont. I use a combination of Cabot Clothbound cheddar cheese and Jasper Hill’s Landaff or Alpha Tolman. If you wanted to be adventuresome, you could roast your own sweet red peppers, but the jarred ones work just fine. This spread can be made weeks in advance and stores well in a covered container in the fridge.” 

Instructions

Yields 1 cup

1 (4-ounce) jar of pimientos, drained and finely chopped (or use 1⁄4 pound chopped, roasted sweet peppers)
1⁄4 pound grated sharp cheddar (Cabot Clothbound is excellent)
1⁄4 pound grated Jack cheese (preferably Jasper Hill Landaff or Alpha Tolman)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch cayenne or more to taste
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Salt to taste

Mash the pimientos with the grated cheeses, mustard, cayenne, mayonnaise and vinegar. Season to taste with salt. Serve on toasted bread slices or crackers.