Pimento Cheese Spread

• 3 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Softened
• 3/4 teaspoons Onion Powder
• 1/2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 1/4 teaspoons Table Salt
• 18 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper (Optional)
• 3/4 cups Mayonnaise
• 8 ounces, weight Block Of Cheese (cheddar, Colby, And Manchego All Work Well), Ground Or Finely Shredded
• 2 ounces, weight Jar Of Pimentos, Drained

1. Using the paddle attachment of your mixer, beat together the cream cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, cayenne (if using), and mayonnaise.
2. The texture of the spread is creamiest when you grind the cheese and pimentos using the grinding attachment of your mixer.
3. If you have a grinding attachment, grind the cheese and pimentos into the bowl containing the cream cheese mixture.
4. If you do not have a grinding attachment, grate the cheese using a fine grater and finely chop the pimentos then add them to the bowl containing the cream cheese mixture.
5. Beat the cheese and other ingredients together on medium speed until the mixture is fluffy about 1 minute.
6. Scrape the bowl and beat another minute or so.
7. Transfer the cheese spread to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
8. NOTES: 1) With this amount of onion and garlic powder, this recipe is more assertively flavored that other pimento cheese spreads.
9. If you are sensitive to the flavor of onions and garlic, use less in this recipe.
10. 2) My personal favorite is to use manchego cheese (a Spanish sheeps milk cheese).
11. Very yummy!
12. 3) My mother likes this spread in grilled cheese sandwiches and on top of baked potatoes.
13. 4) Whatever you do, do NOT use pre-shredded cheese.
14. Pre-shredded cheese is coated to prevent the cheese from sticking together which is not what you want in a cheese spread.
15. Be sure to use fresh cheese in this particular recipe.
16. 5) This also tastes great when made with 2% sharp cheddar, light cream cheese, and reduced-fat mayo.
17. Its so flavorful, youll never miss all of the fat.

weight cream cheese, onion powder, garlic, salt, cayenne pepper, mayonnaise, cheddar, pimentos

Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/appetizers-and-snacks/pimento-cheese-spread-3/ (may not work)