Gooey Vegan Pimento Grilled Cheese
Gooey, drippy, rich and salty, the vegan pimento grilled cheese is classic comfort food. It’s rich and super creamy, with pops of sweet pimento flavor, all encased between two slices of crispy bread. The secret to this super creamy cheese sauce? It’s everyone’s favorite, tofu!
Skip the Post, Jump to the Recipe.
About Pimento Grilled Cheeses
When I was in college I took a trip down to North Carolina, and had a pimento grilled cheese for the first and only time of my life. The combination of crispy bread, cream cheese, sharp cheddar, and sweet flecks of pimento was kind of amazing, and felt special. I feel like this is what people mean when they say comfort food- like if a sandwich could give you a hug. Simple, yet rich and creamy, and just a little bit sweet.
Pimento cheese is a dish from the Southern US states, that is a dip made with cheddar cheese and pimento peppers. It’s sometimes called “the pâté of the south”. Cream cheese is added to make it creamy and spreadable. Pimento peppers are jarred peppers that have no spice and are very sweet. Just about the only place I tend to see them these days are in the center of a pimento stuffed olive.
But here’s a little secret about the pimento grilled cheese- while now adays it is very much a Southern delicacy it has it’s origins a bit further North. Pimento cheese was first recorded as being sold in New York in the 1870’s, and had become quite popular across the entire country by around 1910. Southern states really began to participate in the great pimento boom by the 1920’s, when it situated itself as the American center for pimento growing. By the end of World War 2, the American love affair with pimento cheese had started to wane in most of the country, but had creamy pimento dip had established itself firmly in Southern kitchens and was not on the way out anytime soon.
Looking for Vegan Sandwiches? Try one of these!
- Smoky Golden Beet Vegan Lox
- Vegan White Bean Salad Sandwiches
- Baked Eggplant Parm Vegan Sandwich
- Maitake Mushroom Vegan French Dip Sandwich
- Cucumber and Jicama Vegan Tea Sandwiches
- Tomato and Garlic Vegetarian Sandwich Meat
- Chicken of the Woods Salad with Cranberries
- Spicy Black Bean Vegan Deli Slices
- Mushroom Vegan Po’boy (Aborted Entoloma Recipe)
- Vegan Tuna Salad (Made with Jackfruit, not Chickpeas!)
Cheesy Vegan Recipes? Try one of these ones out!
- Vegan Herby Fermented Almond Pulp Cheese
- White Cocoa Vegan Charcuterie Cheese
- Buttery Vegan Cheese Cracker Recipe
- Sweetened Vegan Cashew Mascarpone
- Rye Pretzel Recipe with Vegan Beer Cheese
- Fermented Spreadable Sweet Chestnut Cheese
- The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese Pizza Recipe
- 5 Ingredient Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- Vegan Cheese and Rhubarb Danish
- Kabocha Squash and Cheese Vegan Pupusas
- Holiday Baked Vegan Cheese with Guava Swirl
- Vegan Cauliflower and Butternut Squash Quesadillas
Pimento Grilled Cheese Tips and Tricks
- Our pimento cheese recipe makes enough for several grilled cheese sandwiches. Depending on your wants, you could also use this cheese as a dip or instead serve over pasta for a delicious pimento grilled cheese.
- For easier to make grilled cheeses, I recommend chilling the completed cheese sauce for a couple hours so it firms up a bit before sandwich making.
- I realize that many people think that buttered bread is the right way to make a grilled cheese, but I am a firm believer that (vegan) mayonnaise is a better option. It’s always easier to spread, some people say it browns better, and it adds a little tang that’s very pleasant.
- Adding shreds of vegan cheese is optional- it will give you little pockets of cheddar in the creamy cheese base and will give you a somewhat firmer sandwich.
- If gooey is not your thing, this may not be the sandwich for you. If you’d like to make the cheese a little firmer, you can increase the amount of tapioca starch used or try a firmer texture of tofu.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plant-based milk
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch
- 8 oz. silken tofu (1/2 container)
- 1/4 cup miso paste
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp. whole grain mustard
- 1 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1/4 cup diced pimentos
- (optional) 1/2 cup grated vegan cheddar
- 2 slices of bread
- 1-2 tbsp. vegan mayonnaise
Instructions
- Combine the plant-based milk and tapioca starch in a saucepan, and whisk to combine. Turn the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes until the milk is thickened and glossy. Transfer the mixture to your blender.
- Add the ingredients listed up to and including the turmeric to your blender and blend until glossy. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the pimentos, along with the vegan cheddar (if desired). Mix in, and then lightly cover your cheese in the fridge for a couple hours so it's a bit firmer.
- Once you're ready to eat, spread mayonnaise on the outside of each slice of bread. Add about 1/3 of a cup of your pimento cheese dip to each sandwich, and spread out. Cook on a medium-hot skillet for a few minutes on each side until crispy. Serve warm and gooey.
Like this Pimento Grilled Vegan Sandwich? Pin it!
