Pimento Grilled Cheese

4 from 1 ratings

A trip to the magnificent Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tenn., convinced me that as a Californian, I'd grown up without one of the most important yet basic cheese-related foods ever invented: pimento cheese. The Blackberry Farm version uses their flagship sheep's milk cheese called Singing Brook, but the recipe is no less spectactular with Cheddar. The celery is my nod to the oft-found accompaniment to pimento cheese.

Servings

servings

Ingredients

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
6 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoon dill pickle brine
1 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon frank's red hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped red bell peppers
16 ounce cheddar cheese, finely grated
3/4 cup pimento cheese
1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery
2 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
8 slices brioche

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix together the garlic, mayonnaise, pickle brine, mustard, hot sauce, salt, and black pepper. Stir in the red peppers and cheese, and mix well.
In a medium bowl, mix together the pimento cheese and celery. Spread the butter on one side of each slice of bread. Place 4 slices of bread, buttered side down, on your work surface. Spread the cheese mixture on the bread. Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered side up.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low for 2 minutes. Put the sandwiches into the pan, cover, and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the undersides are golden brown. Turn the sandwiches, pressing each one firmly with a spatula to flatten slightly. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the undersides are well browned. Remove the cover, turn the sandwiches once more, and press firmly with the spatula again.
Cook for 1 more minute, or until the cheese is warmed through completely and the bread is crisp. Remove from the pan and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut in half and serve.