Pimento Cheese Crostini with Bacon

Pimento cheese is the pâté of the South, and I will not hear otherwise. This humble spread, made from sharp cheddar, good mayonnaise, and those sweet little pimento peppers, has graced tables from church suppers to white-tablecloth restaurants for generations. My grandmother Evangeline kept a crock of it in her icebox at all times, ready for unexpected company or a hungry grandson wandering through the kitchen.

The secret to great pimento cheese is freshly grated cheddar. That pre-shredded stuff from the bag is coated in powder to keep it from clumping, and it will never melt into that creamy, spreadable texture you want. Take the five extra minutes. Grate it yourself. Your hands will know the difference the moment you start folding it together.

Now, putting this cheese on a crostini with crispy bacon is pure Louisiana hospitality. At Lagniappe, we serve these at every cocktail hour, and they vanish faster than I can bring out another tray. The crunch of the toasted bread, the rich tang of the cheese, the smoky saltiness of the bacon: every bite gives you something different. That's what good food does. It keeps you interested from the first taste to the last crumb on the plate.