I’ve always been a fan of a great at-home bar. I strongly believe it’s a must-learn life skill to mix up classic cocktails, and as an avid host, it’s important to provide an array...
Looking back on Easter as a child, I remember how excited I was to dig through my Easter basket. Full of chocolate bunnies, malt ball Easter eggs, Peeps, golden coins, and my favorite Cadbury...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
When hosting any sort of gathering where food is involved (and lets be honest what kind of gathering doesn’t involve food), my number one go-to is a great cheese plate. A great cheese plate, or board, is truly an essential and one of the easiest items to prepare for your guests. In fact I feel I’ve got my cheese pairings down to a science. A variety of cheeses with different tastes and textures + something sweet and something fresh + a warm baguette to put it on. Oh and a few snacks (nuts, olives, etc.) to nosh on doesn’t hurt. Below you’ll find a few more specifics to help, but don’t feel overwhelmed. If you’re a cheese plate novice simply visit your local cheese shop and talk to the cheese monger. He or she will gladly help you on your journey. truly, MKR
Spending a lot of time out on the West Coast I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying Tillamook more times than I can count. But finding it in the South has always been difficult. So when I heard Tillamook made their move to Southern distribution I jumped in the car and made a beeline to my nearest Publix and loaded up on their ice cream and all of the cheeses. I’m talking blocks, slices, and pre-shredded, it’s that good y’all.
For those not familiar with Tillamook let me give you a cliff notes version of why they’re the best. Based in Oregon, Tillamook has been around for over 100 years and through that entire time they’ve been farmer owned, made up of about 80 farming families. They’re committed to the best practices and stewardship, and are guided by the belief that everyone deserves real food that makes them feel good every day. And feel good is what their food does. It really is the absolute best.
In celebration of Tillamook now being readily available in the South they partnered with Sweet Auburn BBQ on an event called Melty Fest. If you saw my stories on Instagram the other night you would have seen just how amazing the event was, if you missed it you can check out my highlight reel. Anyway, Sweet Auburn has been using Tillamook since the beginning in their Pimento Cheese Stuffed Won Tons. Yep, you heard that right, Pimento Cheese Stuffed Won Tons. We even had the opportunity to create a few of our own.
Wanting to get in on the action, and being inspired by all things Tillamook and Southern I decided why not combine two of my personal favorites; pimento cheese and mac & cheese. Wow, I’m so glad I did.
The idea that homemade mac & cheese could never get any better was immediately flipped on its head with the addition of pimento cheese. The ooey-gooey flavor we’ve all come to love from mac & cheese was simply enhanced by the classic Southern Staple of a recipe. The pimentos, hot sauce and Worcestershire gave it a subtle bite that you’ve come to expect from pimento cheese, but combining it with the noodles and even more Tillamook cheese and then baking it with breadcrumbs, well there really are no words!
Below you’ll find the recipe that may or may not change your life for the better. A few things to note; you absolutely can make a lot of this ahead of time, but the key really is in moving quickly with the rue and stirring like crazy with the cheese addition on the stovetop. So make sure you have all of your ingredients ready to go and your oven pre-heated. Enjoy friends! Truly, MKR
Tillamook Pimento Mac & Cheese
Ingredients:
1 pound pasta (cooked with 2 tablespoons salt, drained and set aside)
1 qt. whole milk
9 tablespoons salted butter
6-8 tablespoons flour
1 package Tillamook extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 16oz.
1 package Tillamook colby jack cheese shredded, (you can also buy the Tillamook Farmstyle Thick Cut shreds as well)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
2 cups panko breadcrumbs (I prefer Italian)
1 jar diced pimentos drained
2 bunches of fresh chives or green onions finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
In a large dutch oven, cast iron skillet or deep pan melt butter over medium/high heat. Once melted, reduce heat to medium low add flour, Worcestershire, and hot sauce whisking constantly until you have a rue formed.
Once rue is formed increase the heat to medium/high and gradually whisk in the milk, bringing it to a low boil and continue to whisk and cook for 5 minutes.
Turn the heat down to low and add in cheese, lemon, pimentos, salt and pepper. Continue whisking until it’s a cheese sauce consistency. Once it’s at the desired consistency cover and turn off the heat.
In a small bowl melt 1 tablespoon butter in the microwave and mix in panko breadcrumbs.
Add cooked pasta to a large baker of your choice and fold in cheese sauce. Top evenly with panko breadcrumbs. Cover with tin foil.
Bake in the oven covered for 15-20 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and uncover the dish. Broil until breadcrumbs form a crust and turn golden brown.
Remove from oven, top with chives and enjoy.
Photography Rustic White Interiors | This is in partnership with Tillamook, a brand I love and adore. All opinions, recipes, and photos are 100% my own.
There’s really nothing better—or more comfort inducing—than tomato soup. And like most things, tomato soup really does taste better with a little homemade effort. Sure, a can of tomato soup will suffice in a pinch, but homemade is truly a difference you can taste. And when you hear the words, “tomato soup pimento cheese” anywhere in the same sentence, you know you’re in for a treat.
My take on the classic is a tad on the fancier side with the use of roasted tomatoes. By roasting the tomatoes whole along with using fresh cloves of garlic, then blending, I get a thicker, creamier consistency that is just SO much more satisfying than a one note from the can version.
Along with the roasting, the other key to my recipe was hinted above: blending. Last time we talked blending, it was to share my love for the KitchenAid® Pro Line® Series Blender and that love is not lost today. By blending, even if it’s only a portion of a soup, you’re creating a richer and tastier texture. I find that blending is actually the key to most soups, so trust me when I say it’s worth the extra effort.
Once blended, I really do enjoy a dollop (or two) of heavy cream if I’m serving this roasted tomato soup as a starter. BUT when I’m serving it as an entree I like to put a little Southern spin on it by serving it alongside grilled pimento cheese bites.
Grilled pimento cheese bites are just as heavenly as they sound…crisp pan fried sourdough encasing rich, ooey-gooey pimento cheese. The combo really should be illegal! But lucky for us it’s not, and even luckier for us is that grilled pimento cheese bites are super easy to make. Simply cut the sourdough bread into smallish squares, spread with pimento cheese and fry it all in a sauté pan until crisp and golden brown. You can most certainly use store-bought pimento cheese, but if you’re using homemade, here’s a quick tip: be sure to blitz the ingredients in a blender for a smoother, spreadable texture that is sure to melt better.
So now that I’ve shared my spin on the ultimate comfort food, all you’ve got to do is try it! Truly, MKR
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Place the tomatoes on a baking dish and slightly crush or break with your hands, add garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Roast until garlic is soft and tomatoes are jammy, approx. 30 minutes.
About 10 minutes before roasted tomatoes are done, begin heating 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high. Add onion and season with salt and pepper.
Cook until onion begins to soften.
Increase heat to medium high, add tomato paste, rosemary and thyme; cook, stirring, until slightly darkened in color, about 2 minutes.
Add roasted tomato mixture and broth and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, 15-20 minutes.
Let cool slightly.
Working in batches, pour tomato mixture in a blender until smooth and pour soup back into pot.
Taste, then season with salt and pepper and put the lid on to keep warm while you make the pimento cheese bites.
For the pimento cheese bites
Cut the sourdough bread into smallish squares.
Smear butter on outside sides of bread.
Spread with pimento cheese and in a saute pan coated with cooking spray, saute on high to medium high until golden brown.
Serve with tomato soup, and enjoy!
By Mandy Kellogg Rye @ Waiting on Martha
Welcome by Waiting on Martha https://waitingonmartha.com/
Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha | This post was in collaboration with KitchenAid, a brand we love and adore. All opinions are 100% our own.
