Derby Pimento Cheese Sandwiches (Printable)

Southern-style creamy cheese sandwiches with pimentos, perfect for parties and afternoon bites.

# What You Need:

→ Cheese Mixture

01 - 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
02 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
04 - 1/4 cup jarred diced pimentos, drained
05 - 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
07 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
08 - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Sandwich Assembly

10 - 24 slices thin white sandwich bread, crusts removed
11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

# Directions:

01 - In a medium bowl, combine cheddar cheese, cream cheese, and mayonnaise. Beat with a hand mixer or stir vigorously until smooth and creamy.
02 - Add diced pimentos, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Mix until evenly incorporated throughout the cheese mixture.
03 - Lay out the bread slices. If desired, lightly spread one side of each slice with softened butter to prevent sogginess.
04 - Evenly spread pimento cheese mixture on half of the bread slices, using approximately 2 tablespoons per slice. Top with remaining bread slices to form complete sandwiches.
05 - Using a sharp serrated knife, trim off crusts if not already done and cut each sandwich into thirds or quarters to create uniform finger sandwiches.
06 - Arrange on a platter, cover with a damp paper towel, and refrigerate until serving, up to 4 hours.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They come together in under twenty minutes, which means you can be genuinely relaxed before guests arrive instead of panicking in the kitchen.
  • The pimento cheese stays creamy and never gets grainy, even if you make them hours ahead of time.
  • They disappear from platters so quickly that people assume you spent way more effort than you actually did.
02 -
  • Using pre-shredded cheese is tempting but it will make your mixture grainy and separated, so take the extra two minutes to grate your own and the texture will be noticeably better.
  • If your filling looks too soft to spread, it means your cream cheese wasn't soft enough when you started, so refrigerate it for fifteen minutes before spreading it onto the bread.
03 -
  • Add a tiny dash of hot sauce or finely chopped fresh scallions to your cheese mixture if you want to wake up the flavors, but remember that less is more when you're making these for a crowd with mixed tastes.
  • Cut them into quarters for a more formal presentation at a tea party, or thirds if you're serving them at something more casual where people might want to grab a couple.
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