Pimiento Cheese Sandwich

Pimiento cheese has often been called the “comfort food” of the American South, where the sandwich filling is usually homemade in either a cooked or uncooked version and served on white bread. The basic mixture includes grated cheddar or American cheese combined with mayonnaise, chopped canned pimientos, salt, and pepper. Various additions include mustard, cayenne or hot red pepper sauce, garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, or horseradish. Researchers have been unable to discover the origin of pimiento cheese, but its popularity has been noted since the availability of hoop cheese in country stores. A recipe for Pimento (sic) Sandwich appeared in the Up-to-Date Sandwich Book (1909) by Eva Greene Fuller. By the Depression, pimiento cheese sandwiches were served as a popular and economical meal throughout the United States. They were even featured on luncheon menus of some restaurants, including the Hotel Barbara Worth in El Centro, California, where, in 1930, the sandwich was priced at thirty cents. Pimiento cheese remains a favorite homemade sandwich filling, and in the South, it is also a popular topping for hamburgers and hot dogs.