I woke up yesterday trying to think of a great side to make for Labor Day. I love grilled corn and realized that I haven’t had any this year. So logically, my next thought was about what kind of wonderful compound butter I could slather over it. I toyed with the idea of making Mexican street corn (elotes) – grilled corn slathered with a seasoned crema/mayo mixture and then rolled in Cotija cheese – but then my mind flashed to this amazing pimiento cheese appetizer I had the other night… Aha moment!
The corn was simply grilled using my Perfect Grilled Corn method… shucked and grilled for 4 minutes on each side over medium heat. The butter can be made days in advance, but I would recommend taking it out of the the refrigerator an let sit at room temp to soften up a bit – you’re going to want to SLATHER, not lightly coat your corn.
I literally wanted to eat this pimiento cheese butter by the spoonfuls it is that good.
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 2 + 2 tablespoons chopped pimientos, drained
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- ⅛ teaspoon celery seed
- Grate cheese with a fine grater such as a Microplane. Add cheese to the bowl of a food processor along with the butter, 2 tablespoons of the pimientos, and the remaining ingredients. Process until relatively smooth. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of pimientos and pulse until finely chopped and incorporated into the mixture.
- Transfer to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate util 30 minutes before serving with corn so that it has softened slightly for spreading.
- Alternatively, scrape butter with a rubber spatula onto a piece of kitchen parchment or plastic wrap. Roll up and twist the the ends to form a cylinder. Refrigerate for a couple hours until firm. Can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Cheers and Happy Grilling!
~Jeff
