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Pimento Cheese Spread with Spicy Pepper Conserve and Fresh Pickled Cukes

This Pimento Cheese Spread is perfect for any gathering, from tailgates to picnics and everything in between.

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Ingredients

Pimento Cheese

  • 4 oz. cream cheese, softened

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 8 oz. finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
  • 2 tablespoons jarred pimentos, drained

Spicy Pepper Conserve

  • 3 cups Turbinado Sugar

  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 medium red bell peppers trimmed and chopped into 1/2” pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
  • 1 minced fresh jalapeno pepper
  • 1 tablespoon pectin

Fresh Pickled Cukes

  • 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

  • 1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon whole mustard seed
  • 1/4 teaspoon whole allspice
  • 1 whole bay leaf, crushed
  • 2 teaspoon dried minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry dillweed
  • 1 cup water
  • 5 whole pickling cucumbers, halved lengthwise, if desired

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Instructions
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Pimento Cheese

Step 1

Combine cream cheese and mayonnaise together in a food processor. Pulse for 5-second intervals, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until mixture is smooth.

Step 2

Add cheddar, garlic powder, and horseradish and pulse repeatedly until mixture is smooth.

Step 3

Add the pimentos and pulse just until mixed. Pour mixture into a serving bowl and chill, covered, until ready to serve.

Spicy Pepper Conserve

Step 1

Combine the sugar and vinegar together in a medium saucepot and stir over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Keep stirring until all the sugar dissolves.

Step 2

Stir in peppers and bring the mixture back to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil, undisturbed, for 10 minutes.

Step 3

Slowly stir in the pectin, while mixture continues to boil, and stir vigorously for 2 more minutes until pectin fully dissolves.

Step 4

Remove from heat and pour into a heatproof container. Cool to room temperature, cover, and chill until ready to serve.

Fresh Pickled Cukes

Step 1

In a small saucepot, combine all ingredients together, except cucumbers, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute then remove from heat. Set cucumbers in a single layer in a container and pour brine over to cover.

Step 2

Let brine cool to room temperature then chill overnight before serving. Freshly pickled cukes are best when eaten within 7 days of brining.

Quick Tip

To keep pectin from clumping in this recipe, try pouring about ½ cup of the boiled mixture into a medium-sized bowl then whisk the 1 tablespoon of pectin until dissolved. Turn this mixture back into the pot and proceed with the recipe.

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