I was watching Bobby Flay one day and he made a pimento cheeseburger. It looked so good that I had to try it, so I pulled up the recipe and proceeded to make it. Unfortunately, I didn't have sharp white cheddar so I subbed out Monterey jack but it still turned out good. Anyway, long story short, I made a LOT of pimento cheese, so I was trying to come up with other things to do with it, and this super simple and delicious appetizer was born.
Make it for your next shower, work party, holiday get together...anything! It's great and very easy. You can make the spread beforehand and then just broil it onto the crackers a few minutes before your guests arrive!
Source: JennaBlogs.com (Pimento recipe adapted from Bobby Flay)
1 cup mayo
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 red bell pepper, roasted and peeled (you can buy these pre-done at the store if you don't want to do it yourself)
1.5 cups grated sharp yellow cheddar
1.5 cups grated Monterey jack
salt and pepper
Ritz crackers (I prefer whole wheat)
Roast your pepper over an open flame (I used my gas range or you can use a grill) getting it completely blackened on all sides. Once blackened, place in a zip top bag and set aside for 10 minutes. The steam will be trapped in the bag and loosen the skin up. After ten minutes, remove the pepper and peel away all the blackened skin. Cut down the four sides of the pepper leaving the ribs and seeds attached to the stem, and then mince up the pepper. Set aside.
Combine mayo, cheeses, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Add minced bell pepper. Combine. Store in a air tight container until read to use.
Put 1 heaping teaspoon on each cracker. Broil at 400 until cheese is melted (watch carefully so that the cracker does not burn). Remove and serve warm.
