Cheese, please

In this blog, I keep mentioning that I really should cut out dairy. 

groan. 

Who wants to do that? 

I love dairy, especially when it is in the form of ice cream or cheese. 

Cheese? Yes, please. 

Yep, moderation is great.  But no matter hard I try to actually try, I cannot do it. With the help of almond milk, I have cut down on dairy somewhat, but I cannot get rid of it completely. I just chomp on my lactose enzyme pill instead. Typically, I have great ideals as to what cutting out dairy will do for my health, skin, and digestive system and then I immediately find a great looking cheese-filled recipe that I cannot stay away from. 

Speaking of such goodness, I recently came across the concept of "lasagna" grilled cheese, (which is not as weird as it sounds). As soon as Joy the Baker posted it, I knew I had met my grilled cheese destiny. 

Oh my. 

Lightly buttered bread. mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, fresh basil, and sliced tomatoes. Heaven in the form of a sandwich. (You should know that I did not do exactly everything Joy did because I did not have them. But it still turned out great, even on my homemade, non-artisan bread). 

This has taken grilled cheese to a new level (though I will admit, I still often crave those grilled cheese sandwiches of my youth that consisted of that "plastic" American cheese between cheep white bread. Unfortunately, that stuff makes awesome grilled cheese). But now that I am adult, (ha), I like to try and make my grilled cheese fancy... or at least fancier. 

Yesterday, I finally got around to something I had been meaning to make ever since I saw Sunny Anderson make it on the food network channel during our family vacation to South Carolina in 2011. Pimiento Cheese. 

Pimiento Cheese

Combine:

2 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 c mayonnaise

2 T grated onion

1 t yellow mustard

3 T chopped pimiento

1/8-1/4 t cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Blended together in a food processor. Eat on bread or crackers (or as a burger topping). 

*Source: Food Network Magazine

Yum! Lately, (and by that I mean yesterday and today for lunch), I've been spreading this on lightly butter bread, dicing a few cherry tomatoes and grilling these into delicious grilled cheese sandwiches. 

I love when food joys can be so simple.