I am blessed with three wonderful sisters, Diane, Jeanye and Ruth. They came into my life in my 20’s, when my mother remarried after my father died. I’ve had many wonderful and hilarious times with all three ever since. They are the best.

Jeanye and I are addicted to cards and will play for hours at a stretch. Which means, of course, we need some ‘nibbles’, as she likes to call them, while we play. Sustenance is important, right? (It also keeps the mind sharp for kicking ass at cards… We are a little competitive.) The last time we played at her house, she combined the remains of two left over store-bought items on a whim: pimento cheese and a corn salad.

We inhaled it.

It was so good I was determined to create a homemade version. After a few rounds of experimenting, I present you a dip you will make for the rest of your life. This stuff is good. Because of the ingredients, it also lasts a while in the fridge. I always double it, in fact. So make a big batch, serve with vegetables and/or crackers, and enjoy.

This is perfect for the Super Bowl, btw.

Oh and importantly, for the Southerners anyway, this is the best pimento cheese recipe ever, one I’ve come up with by combining a few recipes over the years. Make just the pimento cheese for the best pimento cheese sandwich on the planet.

 

 

For the recipe, click here —> 

PIMENTO CHEESE JALAPENO CORN DIP

1st, make the Pimento Cheese:

Ingredients:

– 1/2 lb of extra-sharp aged White Cheddar Cheese, grated

– 1/2 lb of extra-sharp aged Cheddar (orange), grated

– 1 4 oz jar of pimentos, drained and finely chopped

– 1 cup Duke’s mayonnaise (You must use Duke’s, it is the best.)

– *2 T Durkee’s Famous Sauce (order this from Amazon if you cannot find it in your store, it’s a must)

– 1 t each of salt, pepper and cayenne… minimum! Don’t be shy here.

Directions:

Combine all ingredients well in a large bowl. Continue combining until relatively smooth, though some, like me, enjoy pimento cheese with the strands of cheese visible. It is difficult not to dive in immediately but it will be better in a day or so.

Then make:

ROASTED JALAPENO CORN

If you have a Trader Joe’s near you, your life is easy. Get a bag of their frozen “Roasted Corn”. If you can’t find this, a bag of regular frozen corn will do. Just sauté it at a slightly higher heat for a little longer to get a bit of roasted flavor. If you are ambitious, you may instead roast a few ears of corn on your grill, then slice the kernels off and start there.

Ingredients:

– 2 T butter

– 1 bag Trader Joe’s Roasted Corn (see note above)

– 1/2 onion, diced fine

– 1/2 Jalapeño or Fresno chili, diced fine… the seeds are the spice. I use about half for a very healthy kick.

– salt and pepper

Directions:

Sauté the onion and jalapeño in the butter on medium until they are just getting soft. Add the corn and continue to sauté, adding plenty of salt and pepper. When everything is soft and caramelized, maybe 20 minutes total (taste!), remove from heat and let cool.

***For your finished dip, combine the cooled roasted corn with the pimento cheese. Again, you can eat right away but it will only get better with time!

** for more info on DUKE’S MAYO, click here