I’m in full swing with the fall season. I’ve been sharing all the festive things: And what else is it? Football season! I’ve already been to my first game - can’t beat an afternoon at the stadium! I love me some game day eats at home, like my cheesy baked black bean dip, veggie-loaded pizza dip and easy vegetable squares. And today, I am representing my hometown Carolina Panthers team with a Southern favorite recipe. I wasn’t initially quite sure what I would make, just that it would involve pimiento cheese. Cause that’s just perfectly Southern and great for snacking. And finally I landed on these homemade cheese crackers. They’re just 4 ingredients — pimiento cheese, butter, flour and salt — they can be made ahead and they are unbelievably delicious. They have a crunchy outside and a buttery soft, smooth texture inside. They kinda melt in your mouth. They work as a stand-alone for snacking but I highly recommend you serve them with some extra pimiento cheese. Because putting pimiento cheese on your pimiento cheese crackers is crazy satisfying. If you’ve got some cooked, crumbled bacon laying around, you could take these over the top. It’s game day after all!
Pimiento cheese: You can use homemade pimiento cheese (I included a basic recipe below) or pick some up from the store, which I’ve been known to do from time to time. Cause I live in the South. Flour: I used white whole wheat flour, cause that’s just how I roll, but all purpose flour would be fine, too. A gluten-free all-purpose flour mix should work as well. Slices: Don’t slice the crackers too thin. They spread out just a tad while baking and the thin ones will be too crumbly. I had some that were ¼-inch thick and they didn’t hold up well. They should be about ⅓ inch thick to cook through and hold together. Let the cheese crackers cool completely on the pan before you remove them or try to serve them. This helps them set up and stay together. Chilled: Be sure to slice and bake these straight from the fridge. Don’t let your cheese loaf sit out too long — you want the butter to be nice and cold still when the crackers go in the oven. Bake time: Mine take 20 minutes, but check them after 18. They’re ready when they’re light brown around the edges.
Tip: If your oven doesn’t cook evenly from side to side or front to back, you can rotate your pan halfway through the cooking time so these all turn out. Also, if you are hosting a crowd, you should maybe double or triple the recipe. They will go fast! Get a taste of the South, a taste of the Carolinas, with this easy recipe. Snacking never looked so good. Enjoy! XO, Kathryn Flour: I use white whole wheat flour but all-purpose flour would be fine. An all-purpose gluten-free mix should work as well. Be sure to slice and bake these straight from the fridge. Don’t let your cheese loaf sit out too long — you want the butter to be nice and cold still when the crackers go in the oven. Don’t slice the crackers too thin. They spread out just a tad while baking and the thin ones will be too crumbly. I had some that were ¼-inch thick and they didn’t hold up well. They should be about ⅓ inch thick to cook through and hold together. Tip: If your oven doesn’t cook evenly from side to side or front to back, you can rotate your pan halfway through the cooking time so these all turn out. You can double or triple the recipe for a crowd - they will go fast! Want to make your own pimiento cheese? Here’s a basic recipe: Homemade Pimiento Cheese: 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese4 oz. cream cheese, softened½ cup mayonnaise1 (4 oz.) jar diced pimientos, drained¼ teaspoon garlic powder¼ teaspoon onion powder¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)Salt and black pepper, to taste Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until smooth. Refrigerate for at least two hours to let it firm up.
