One of us is from the genteel South and feels compelled to educate others on the ways of Southern cuisine. This often means that while restaurants advertise any number of Southern meal options, one of us often leaves disappointed, remembering the good ol’ dishes from our grandmother’s kitchen. This seems to most frequently and specifically occur with dishes claiming to be created with pimento cheese, which almost always more closely resembles nacho cheese with peppers. We decided to make a Southern / Mexican riff on macaroni and cheese based on the tried-and-true pimento cheese recipe from Parker & Otis, which we are lucky enough to live down the street from.
This is a delightfully simple dinner that takes less than an hour to make, requires only five ingredients, and also happens to be gluten-free. Your choice of cheese really determines the outcome of this dish, so make sure it’s one (or a blend) that you really enjoy. Same goes for the mayonnaise – while it proportionally doesn’t make up much of the recipe, you are going to taste it. Lastly, if you feel the pimento cheese needs some salt or flavoring, celery salt and smoked salt make for superb additions. —The Nutty Vegetarians
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