Southern Pimento Cheese Crostini
Believe it or not, I never ate pimento cheese growing up, despite it being such a classic Southern thing. I remember my cousins did, and my husband did, but not me. The common recipes you’ll find are pretty simple, and it’s most often eaten as a sandwich. We recently made pimento cheese at home, and I like this recipe because it melds three different cheeses for an upgraded flavor profile. Spread across crunchy crostini, it’s a tasty treat alongside tomato soup or all on its own. Read on for the recipe!
Southern Pimento Cheese Crostini
Pimento cheese adapted from If It Makes You Healthy
3/4 pound sharp cheddar, grated
1/2 pound smoked Gouda, grated
1/2 pound Colby Jack, grated
1/3 cup light mayo
1 4-ounce can pimentos, drained and diced
2 tablespoons finely chopped green olives
2 teaspoons olive juice (from the jar of olives)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
Kosher salt
French bread, sliced thinly and grilled or baked until very firm
In a large mixing bowl, mix cheddar, Gouda, and Colby Jack cheeses. Fold in the mayo, pimentos, olives, olive juice, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. Season with salt. Transfer to a small mason jar and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up a little. The pimento cheese will last up to 1 week. Stir well before serving, spreading the pimento cheese on fresh slices of crostini.