This post was sponsored by Fresh From Florida as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central, however, all opinions expressed are my own.
When it comes to fresh produce, nothing makes me happier than a tomato. I like them all- perfectly ripe or green and ready for frying. If you ask me my favorite fruit, I’m likely to say tomato because it’s so versatile. That’s why I love this time of year. It’s tomato time in Florida which means I get the best tomatoes, whether I want them green for frying or perfectly ripe and red. I always look for Fresh From Florida tomatoes so I know I get the freshest tomatoes.
Fresh From Florida Tomato Recipes
Honestly, you don’t even need a plethora of recipes to enjoy the taste of tomatoes. I love them with nothing more than a little salt. I’m also a huge fan of eating them slice on white bread with mayonnaise. Mmmm. A good old tomato and mayo sandwich is classic. However, if you want to step it up a notch, you can go to the Fresh From Florida website to get some fun recipes.
Wonder how to tell if your tomatoes are Fresh From Florida? Look for the logo. You can see it in the picture below at the bottom right hand corner of the packaging.
Of course, you can also get some delicious tomatoes recipes from yours truly!
One of my favorite ways to enjoy tomatoes is on a grilled cheese sandwich, but with a spin. If you appreciate southern food like I do, you’ll love this recipe for pimento grilled cheese sandwich with tomato, a.k.a. grilled pimento cheese with tomato. It adds a little flair and punches a lot more flavor into the same old grilled cheese. It’s also a great way to get kids to try something new!
Can we discuss the name of this sandwich for a minute? What would you call this? I feel like it should be called a pimento cheese grilled cheese, but having the world cheese twice in the name just sounds crazy, right? So that brings us to two other options: pimento grilled cheese & grilled pimento cheese. I couldn’t figure out which one was right so I Googled it (of course) and apparently Google doesn’t know which one is right either. Oh well!
Back to the recipe- a classic grilled cheese sandwich is a favorite in the Eat, Drink, and Save Money household. It’s delicious, affordable, and loved by even the pickiest of eaters. Even though we always love the classic, every now and then we crave something a little more grown up.
Easy Recipe for Pimento Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato
Even though you can buy ready made pimento cheese in the deli of most grocery stores, I love making it myself from scratch. It’s pretty easy and very inexpensive. The fun part is that you can play around with the cheese. Cheddar is used in this recipe, but don’t be afraid to experiment with other types of cheese too.
Start by making your own pimento cheese. Cheddar cheese, mayo, pimentos, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and red pepper come together beautifully to make a creamy pimento cheese that is full of zest.
Once you’ve whipped up that easy pimento cheese recipe, go ahead and slice up some tomatoes. I’m a fan of picking up local tomatoes at Publix that are fresh from Florida. Here in Naples, tomatoes are a big deal. Florida is the nations largest producer of tomatoes which means I have a hard time eating tomatoes that weren’t grown near me. I mean really, why would I even want to eat a tomato that didn’t come from Florida? It doesn’t even make sense to me!
Even if you aren’t from Florida, Fresh From Florida produce is delicious. These tomatoes actually taste delicious year round and shipped all over the south.
At this point in the recipe you have to decide if you want to use mayonnaise or butter on your bread for the grilled cheese. Have you heard of this debate yet? I’m usually a fan of using mayonnaise, but used butter in this recipe since the pimento cheese recipe already called for mayonnaise. But, if you are a super mayo fan, you may(o) want to give it a try and double the mayo taste.
No matter what you decide, the grilled pimento cheese sandwich (or pimento grilled cheese sandwich) with tomato will be scrumptious. There are so many good flavors in this sandwich that all come together so perfectly. I love how the lusciousness of the tomato interacts with the piquantness (is that even a word?) of the pimento cheese. Mmmmm. I’m getting hungry just writing this post.
Ingredients
- Thick deli style bread
- 2 Fresh from Florida tomatoes, sliced
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup mayonnaise, plus extra for coating bread
- 3 tbsp pimentos
- 2 tsp fresh chopped onion
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- dash red pepper
- 2 tbsp butter for grilling
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together cheese, mayo, pimentos, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and red pepper. Set aside. Slice two vine-ripened tomatoes, set aside. Add about 1 tbsp butter to a skillet and heat over medium heat until melted. Add mayo to one side of a slice of bread, and place the slice mayo side down into your warm skillet. Add pimento cheese mixture and two slices of tomato. Spread mayo onto one side of another piece of bread and place that piece down mayo side up. Cook for a few minutes, until that side is toasted, and carefully flip. Cook the other side for a few moments as well, until toasted. Repeat this for as many grilled cheese sandwiches you need to make. Enjoy!
What’s your favorite Florida produce?
Florida isn’t just known for our tomatoes. We’ve got all kinds of delicious produce. Right now, I’m going crazy over the in-season produce because everything is so fresh and perfectly priced. Bell peppers, blueberries, sweet corn and watermelon are all in season right now. Make sure to enjoy them while you can. You better believe we are! Learn more about Fresh from Florida produce here.
More of My Favorite Tomato Recipes
Want more? Try these recipes too!
Like this post?
Don’t forget to follow me on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) to see more of what I’m up to in real life. If you like this post, you’ll love my social media accounts too! Want to know another way you can see more of what I love? Follow me on Pinterest. I’d also love for you to pin this post to Pinterest if you liked it!
Leave a Reply