Pimento Cheese Spread

I've always had a weakness for pimento cheese sandwiches. They remind me of summer time when I was a kid. More recently, I rediscovered them for our 4th of July family get together (last summer). I found this recipe on the Martha Stewart recipe and modified it to make it lighter and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. The original recipe called for all full fat ingredients. I don't know what the calories and fat content would have been in the original version, but mine works out to be about 37 calories and 2.5 grams of fat per tablespoon. I like to use a 1/4 cup for a sandwich made with lightly toasted whole wheat bread. It's also great for spreading on crackers.

Pimento Cheese Spread, adapted from Martha Stewart

Makes 2 1/4 cups

12 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese

4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese made from 2% milk (grated, about 1 1/2 cups)

1 4 ounce jar pimentos, drained

1/8 t0 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

• Process cream cheese, cheddar, pimentos and Tabasco in a food processor until pureed to your desired consistency. Transfer to serving bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!