Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup shredded aged sharp cheddar
4 oz jarred diced pimentos, drained
2/3-3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Refrigerate overnight for best flavor.

My thoughts:

Baltimore isn’t exactly a pimento cheese stronghold but being a reader, I had read many books that mentioned it over the years and was intrigued. Occasionally, I’ve seen jars of it in the store but how could that compare to homemade? Alas, no one I know has, to my knowledge, made pimento cheese much less served it to me so I was on my own. I had made a version of it but it wasn’t quite traditional. So when I was in Nashville in May I took that chance to have pimento cheese in situ. On our last day in Nashville, we had lunch at Picnic, where I had the salad plate which was pimento cheese, chicken salad, a muffin and carrot sticks. The perfect Southern ladies who lunch plate. It was as good as I expected so I thought I’d make my own. My cheddar is a little more aged than what they used (I used Cabot Private Stock Cheddar I bought at Costco which has a crumbly texture that works well in this dish) and I added a bit more bite with the mustard and paprika but the spirit is the same. Cool, picnic-like and oddly summery.