The famous chef from Savannah has been on quite the journey since leaving her post as head chef at the legendary Lady & Sons restaurant in New Orleans over 20 years ago.
She’s opened up a chain of restaurants called The Lady & Son Café (in Savannah), Paula Deen Restaurants (all across America) and even launched an online cooking school called “Paula Deen Cooking School” with recipes that she herself developed over the course of her life.
She also became the star of her own television series called A Place Called Food which was picked up by TLC in 2012.
So what makes this woman so popular among foodies all around the world?
Well, we have no clue but there’s one thing about her that has us intrigued – her love of pimento cheese.
How Do You Make Paula Deen’s Pimento Cheese Recipe?
Pimento cheese is a classic southern dish usually served as part of a meal or appetizer along side fried chicken, deviled eggs, or potato salad.
It consists of melted cottage cheese mixed with sharp Cheddar cheese, chopped green onion, minced garlic, fresh jalapeno peppers and sometimes smoked paprika.
This mixture is then seasoned with salt and pepper before being poured into small ramekins and baked until it sets.
As it bakes, it forms a skin that covers the top and bottom of the pimento cheese while giving off a slight smoky flavor to the outside.
There are several different ways to serve pimento cheese depending on how much time you want to spend preparing your dishes.
If you’re looking for something quick and easy, simply heat up some sliced white bread in the oven until golden brown before adding your favorite toppings like pickles, hot sauce, etc.
Another option would be to add shredded cooked bacon and diced tomatoes to a bowl of cubed American cheese and pour the mixture onto a plate.
Finally, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can try making homemade pimento cheese out of scratch using our homemade ricotta recipe.
- Ingredients: 1 cup (250 mL) shredded mild Cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups (750 mL) whole milk
- 1 tsp (5 mL) dry mustard
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 mL) ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 mL) freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp (0.125 mL) cayenne pepper
- 1 cup (250 mL) cream cheese, room temperature
- (Optional)
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) minced chives
What Are The Ingredients In Paula Deen’s Pimento Cheese Recipe?
Pimento cheese is usually a mix of sharp cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and pickled jalapenos or green chiles.
There are many variations on the theme and some people prefer using only cheddar cheese while others use both cheddar and American cheeses.
Some folks add sliced garlic into their pimento cheese while others like adding fresh herbs such as basil or parsley.
Some people include paprika powder or chili pepper flakes into their pimento cheese concoction.
But then again, everyone likes their pimento cheese differently.
Here’s what Paula Deen uses in her version of the dish:
- 1 cup (8 ounces) shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup [3.5 ounces] cream cheese softened at room temperature
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoons dried dill weed
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon celery seeds
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
- 4-6 chopped roasted pimentos*
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
In addition to these ingredients, Paula adds 1 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons corn syrup, ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke, ½ teaspoon minced garlic, and 1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Mix well and serve immediately.
How Long Does It Take To Make Paula Deen’s Pimento Cheese Recipe?
This simple yet delicious homemade version of pimento cheese takes approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes to whip together!
If you want to speed things up, you can buy pre-made cheeses including sharp white Cheddar, mild yellow American cheese or Monterey Jack instead of making your own versions.
You will need these ingredients:
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese
- 3 tablespoons sour cream (or plain yogurt)
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Dash of hot sauce such as Tabasco, Frank’s Red Hot Sauce or Louisiana Original Creole Seasoning
- Pinch of paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/16 teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces (170 grams) cream cheese softened
- 12 ounces (340 grams) pimento pieces
Step One: In a bowl combine the 4 cheeses and soften them slightly using a fork or your fingers.
Add the other ingredients and stir well until everything is combined completely.
Step Two: Spread onto crackers, bread slices, bagels, or tortilla chips and enjoy immediately or refrigerate for later use.
What Is The Nutritional Information For Paula Deen’s Pimento Cheese Recipe?
One of the most popular things on the menu at the original Lady & Sons restaurant back in 1990 was pimento cheese.
And while it wasn’t exactly a traditional dish at the time, it quickly rose to popularity and is now considered something of a classic Southern comfort food.
A few years later, when Deen decided to open her first restaurant in 1996, pimento cheese went viral.
It was served alongside biscuits and gravy and everyone loved it!
Since then, people have been making their own versions of the creamy cheesy goodness and you can find it everywhere from grocery stores to fancy eateries to street vendors.
If you want to learn how to master your own version of Paula Deen’s pimento cheese recipe, keep reading below.
How Many Calories Are In Paula Deen’s Pimento Cheese Recipe?
Pimento cheese started out being a dish invented by enslaved Africans to use up their precious ingredients when they were forced to make it without any other options available to them.
They would grate some cheese, add salt, pepper, and sometimes bacon bits or ham into a bowl before spreading the mixture onto bread slices to create a sandwich.
While you can find various versions of pimento cheese today, most people consider it to be a type of American cheese dip that originated in Florida back in the 1960s.
But the recipe itself dates back further than that!
According to AllRecipes.com, pimento cheese actually goes way back to 17th century England where it was known as “caper sauce”.
In those days, capers were not pickled in vinegar like they are now.
Instead, they were dried or salted and used as a spice in sauces and soups.
But then why did they call it “caper sauce”?
Well, apparently the word comes from the Latin word “capere” meaning “to seize”.
So if you take a look at how English words work, you will see that “caper” means “seize” while “sauce” means “liquid”.
Thus, one might say that “caper sauce” literally translates to “seized liquid”.
It wasn’t until the early 19th century that pimento cheese found its way to Florida.
There, slaves brought the dish with them after working in Charleston, South Carolina where it was served as part of the daily meal plan.
As time went on, the recipe evolved and eventually came to include cream cheese instead of just using sharp Cheddars.
Other variants included adding chopped green onions and jalapeño peppers to give it more flavor!
Nowadays, pimento cheese is considered to be a classic American comfort food that is often eaten at picnics, potlucks, barbecues, and parties alike.
How Much Fat Is In Paula Deen’s Pimento Cheese Recipe?
Paula Deen’s pimento cheese is not exactly your everyday dip.
In fact, it’s a creamy spread made exclusively out of cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and chopped green peppers.
While you can find it served on crackers or bread, Paula Deen prefers to serve it on slices of white bread.
This dish is loaded with saturated fats, which means that it will give you more than enough cholesterol to cause heart disease.
You should exercise caution when consuming any type of fatty foods, especially if they contain high amounts of salt.
While the exact amount of fat per serving depends on how big each slice of bread is, you could easily eat half a whole loaf without feeling full.
And while it’s true that the sodium content is low, it still contains plenty of carbohydrates and sugar!
So be careful what you order next time you go out to dinner.
How Many Carbs Are In Paula Deen’s Pimento Cheese Recipe?
This pimento cheese sandwich recipe comes to you courtesy of the website Eat Your Greens!
And it doesn’t disappoint when it comes to taste.
However, if you want to know how many carbohydrates are contained within its creamy goodness, then read on…
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- Pinch of salt
- Dash of hot sauce such as Tabasco
- 2 tablespoons diced pimientos
- 4 slices bread
Method
Using a knife, cut each slice into 4 triangles.
Then place them onto 2 pieces of parchment paper.
In between each triangle lay 1 tablespoon of the shredded cheddar cheese.
In another bowl combine the sour cream or Greek yogurt with the mayonnaise, paprika, parsley, salt and hot sauce.
Mix well until smooth.
Add the chopped pimentos, mix again.
Spread half of the mixture onto the bottom piece of parchment paper.
Top with the other slice of bread.
Use the remaining mixture to top off both sides of the sandwiches.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to serve remove from the fridge and let sit for 5 minutes to allow the pimento cheese to soften slightly.
Serve immediately.
How Much
You can make two pounds of pimento cheese or you can buy it pre-made from your local grocery store.
We recommend making it yourself because it will taste better than anything you could possibly find in stores.
If you don’t want to go through the trouble of making it from scratch then try these brands instead:
- Velveeta – This brand sells several different varieties including Classic Velveeta, Pimento Cheese Spread, and Cheesy Garlic, each containing varying amounts of sodium. You should only use low-fat versions if you need to watch your diet.
- Kraft Singles – These come in packs of 8 ounces per pack and contain just enough cheesy goodness for 4 people to enjoy together. They also contain less fat and salt than most other brands.
Equipment
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 package cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup pimentos
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Instructions
- Cream the softened cream cheese with the cheddar cheese until thoroughly mixed.
- Add pimentos, salt, and pepper, and stir.
- You can optionally add mayonnaise, Greek yoghurt, or liquid from the diced pimentos to your pimento cheese to make it thinner for spreading.
Video
Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.