Masters Pimento Cheese – But Kinda Better (Smoked Cream Cheese)
The Masters is my favorite golf event of the year. I love the traditional nature about the whole tournament. From the caddies wearing the white overalls to the no cell phone policy on Augusta National grounds. I even love the fact that the concession items are cheap. But they are on the basic side. Which inspired me to create this Masters Pimento Cheese recipe with smoked cream cheese.
Smoking the cream cheese is a great way to soften the block of cheese before mixing it with the other ingredients. This adds another layer of flavor to a somewhat basic dish. Then you can serve it the traditional way on some white bread. Or my favorite way which is on a nice piece of toasted sourdough bread. Or try one of these other ways.
Equipment/Ingredient Recommendations
- Smoker – I personally used my Recteq on the “low” setting but any pellet/charcoal/gas grill can be used. For charcoal just use a couple piece of coal on the opposite side. For gas you can use these smoke tubes
- Duke’s Mayo – It’s the best store bought mayo and it’s not even close. Order it on Amazon if it’s not available near you.
Pro Tips for your Masters Pimento Cheese
Get the best results from your efforts using these few tips
- Freeze the block – Stick your cream cheese in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before seasoning/smoking. This will allow you to get a better cross hatch cut on top.
- Cross hatch cuts – Don’t skip this park. It allows more smoke flavor to penetrate the cream cheese.
- Lower temps are best – We don’t want to turn the cream cheese into a liquid so lower temperatures are much better for this application.
- Make ahead of time – This recipe tastes much better when it gets to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Make it ahead of time!
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Masters Pimento Cheese – But Kinda Better
Ingredients
- 8 ounce block of cream cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons your favorite BBQ rub
- 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 4 ounce jar of pimentos drained
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ ounce fresh chives diced fine
- salt and pepper to taste depends on your BBQ rub
Instructions
- Set up your smoker for low heat (200° or less)
- Using a sharp knife, cross hatch the cream cream and season with your favorite BBQ rub. Place immediately on the smoker on the foil that it is wrapped in. Smoke for 60 minutes.
- Afterwards, place the smoked cream cheese in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, except the salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
- Taste the mixture and adjust seasoning.
- This can be eaten right away but it's much better if you put it in the fridge for at least 4 hours, airtight. This will give time for the flavors to marry and to firm up the mixture.
