Pimientos add a new twist to the old classic macaroni and cheese in a recipe that may hit new levels of ‘rich’ thanks to the whole milk, cream cheese and heavy cream. Add some Worcestershire, ground mustard and hot sauce, and you get a lot of subtle flavors.
Mark Guydish | for Times Leader
The ingredients for this pimiento mac and cheese dish. Full Disclosure: I had forgotten to include the bottle of whole milk, before taking the picture, having already used it. So I put some of our standard skim milk in the bottle and took this shot.
Mark Guydish | for Times Leader
An eye-appealing pimiento mac and cheese ready to serve.
Mark Guydish | for Times Leader
Apparently pimiento (or pimento) cheese is a popular food in southern cuisine, with one website dubbing it the “pâté of the South,” or the “caviar of the south.” Until I saw this recipe featured on Cook’s Country/America’s Test Kitchen, I don’t remember ever encountering the stuff.
But the idea of pimientos in the cheddar as well as Worcestershire, hot sauce and cream cheese caught my curiosity, and I decided to try it. Long-time readers may remember I’ve written about two other recipes in this genre, an “ultimate mac and cheese” that I didn’t feel quite lived up to the name, and a lobster mac and cheese which —thanks to the lobster and Gruyere cheese — took its place “among the best comfort foods I’ve ever cooked.”
The array of flavors certainly put this variation on a different level from most mac and cheese dishes I’ve had. I confess it seemed like the pimientos added more color than distinct flavor, but maybe that’s the point: Everything blended together with nothing overpowering the other ingredients.
MT and I enjoyed this, but we both had a similar reaction: It’s pretty rich, thanks to the use of whole milk, heavy cream and even cream cheese. While it stands well enough as an entree, I suspect it would be better received as a side, or as one of a multiple choices in a buffet-style dinner.
Dobru chut!
Mac and Pimiento Cheese (Cook’s Country)
1 pound macaroni
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 ounces cream cheese
12 ounces (three 4-ounce jars) pimiento, patted dry and minced
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon dried mustard
¾ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon salt
2 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt and give a stir. Cook 5 minutes and drain. Don’t bother testing for doneness, it will finish cooking in the oven.
Heat oven to 375°.
Reserve 1 cup shredded cheese.
In same pot over medium high, at 3 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons flour, mustard, pepper and salt. Cook about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in some of the milk to avoid lumps, then add remaining steadily while whisking. Add heavy cream. Bring to boil and reduce, simmer until the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Add cream cheese, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and whisk. Add 3 cups of cheese off heat and whisk to smooth. Add pimiento and pasta, stir to incorporate all. Pour into 13 by 9 baking dish, smooth top, sprinkle reserved cup of cheese.
Bake about 20 minutes. Remove and let set about 20 minutes.
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