Kentucky Derby Party: Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs

Below is a description of one of the many dishes I made for a Kentucky Derby-themed party last year. Go to the main post for details about the party, links to all the dishes I made, and a simple schedule to help you host your very own Derby party!
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Pimento cheese—sometimes referred to as the pâté of the south or caviar of the south—is a cheese spread made with cheddar cheese (or processed cheese like Velveeta), mayonnaise, and pimentos. It's a favorite spread of southerners, so I knew I'd have to incorporate it into my menu somehow.

But I already had Benedictine dip planned, so I didn't need a another dip for the party. 

And that's when it hit me... pimento DEVILED EGGS! Because every party is made better with deviled eggs.

These ended up being a huge hit of the party, and I don't think the cheese dip by itself would have garnered such high praise. So next time you want a southern-inspired appetizer, try these!

Buen provecho,
Jacqueline

Pimento Deviled Eggs, adapted from A Spicy Perspective

Notes: I tinkered with the original recipe a bit to get it to my liking, as the original filling felt much too firm for a deviled egg filling. So feel free to adjust the proportions to taste, as my recipe below could probably be optimized a bit further to get it just right.

My favorite way to hard boil eggs (that consistently leads to shells coming off easily) is to steam the eggs for 14-15 minutes, then submerge into ice-cold water until cool.

To prepare this dish in advance, carefully place your egg whites into a Tupperware container and fill a piping bag with your yolk mixture, refrigerating both. Then when you're ready to prepare the eggs, the filling is all set to go to be piped into the whites! If you don't have a piping bag, place filling in a smaller food container, covering surface with a bit of plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.

Yield: 36 deviled eggs.

Ingredients

18 hard boiled eggs
2 oz cream cheese, room temperature
4 TBSP mayonnaise
2.5 tsp Dijon mustard
⅓ tsp smoked paprika
⅓ tsp garlic powder
pinch cayenne, optional
3.75 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3.75 oz shredded Colby jack cheese (original recipe called for pepper jack)
3-4 TBSP diced pimento peppers (jarred)
fresh dill, chives, or other herbs, for garnish

Directions

1. Peel and rinse the hard boiled eggs. Cut in half and remove yolks. Arrange whites on a serving tray. 
2. Place yolks in food processor and pulse yolks to begin breaking them down.
3. Add cream cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, paprika, and garlic powder to food processor (cayenne optional). Puree until completely smooth
4. Add shredded cheeses and diced pimentos. Pulse to combine, but do not puree.
5. Pipe (or scoop) pimento cheese filling into center of each egg white. 
6. Top each egg with fresh herbs and/or pimento peppers as a garnish. Sprinkle with pepper if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.