Must-Have Reunion Foods

My family doesn’t have too many official reunions. We get together whenever and wherever we can, whether it’s to celebrate a holiday or on a Sunday to watch our favorite football team take the field. There are many food requests that are made for these times, like pizza or my Grandma’s famous chicken casserole. But there are two dishes that are constants. If they are not included, it just feels wrong.

The first is Pimento Cheese. This delicious cheese spread is a southern recipe that my family has made forever. But there is nobody who can make it like my Grandma. So, I took my camera and the ingredients over to her house to learn how to make her famous spread. 

You’ll need a block of prepared cheese product, finely shredded sharp cheddar, sliced pimentos and real mayonnaise. Using real mayo is very important.

Grate the entire block of cheese. My grandma warns that this is the “hardest” part of the recipe. It can get a little messy, but trust me, it makes the spread delicious!

Next add the grated sharp cheddar and gently mix the two cheeses together.

The pimentos come next. Just dump the whole jar into the cheese and stir. At this point, my grandma made sure I passed along the tip that you need a really big bowl to stir it all together.

It is time to add the mayo. You want to gently spoon it in and fold in with the cheese. My grandma does this step with absolute ease.

The end product is creamy and delicious. I personally love it on saltine crackers. Others prefer it with chips, celery or even on a sandwich. This cheese spread is from the heart of Tennessee and the heart of our family. 

Now we need dessert. This dessert is oh-so-easy and the pan is gone in a flash! Let’s make Gooey Bars! 

You will need a Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® Cake mix, eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, chocolate chips and marshmallows.

To a mixing bowl, add the cake mix, brown sugar and corn syrup.

In a measuring cup, crack two eggs and then fill the measuring cup with water until it reaches 2/3 cup. Mix all the ingredients together with a mixer until combined. Spread into a greased 9x13 pan. Watch out, the batter is sticky!

Top with one cup marshmallows and one cup chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. The results are delicious! I guarantee these super-easy bars will be requested at all of your family gatherings!