Football season is upon us and, with it, and endless supply of Saturdays devoted to sports watching.  If the daddy of your house is anything like mine, he truly believes that sports do not fall under the television category and are totally appropriate to play all day, meanwhile teaching the little man of the house to yell “Touchdown!” and “Go!”  I’m pretty sure most southerners believe these to be very valid life skills and ones that cannot be learned at too young an age, but I’ve always been more into the aesthetics of it all.  Sign me up for the snacks, beer, and brightly colored dresses!

If the mommy of your house is anything like me, she’s spending her “game days” in the kitchen and entertaining.  What better excuse for some grown up conversation, even if it is interrupted by child-like screams and cheering.  If you’re going to be entertaining, however, it’s nice to have something that can be mostly made in advance and that pleases big and little tastes alike.  

This recipe hails from my mother-in-law who was born and bred here in Georgia.  I love the addition of pecans for local flair and crunch.  She serves it the traditional way, on rye toasts, but I wanted something a little different and more portable to use in my catering business.  The apples really complement the pecans and cheddar and, together on a bun, make you feel like you’re eating a semi-balanced snack.  If you really want to splurge, I recommend trying it with candied bacon, but country ham works well too.  You can even put together a platter with all three and let people build their own slider.     

Here’s to the return of GameDay and a touchdown addition to your snack repertoire!  

Print Recipe

Pecan-studded Pimiento Cheese & Apple Sliders

While the green apple is the healthiest choice for your little ones, you can substitute the apple with candied bacon or country ham for a special treat.

Prep Time

20 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise preferably Duke's
• 1 cup cream cheese softened
• 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese HAND grated
• 7 ounces chopped pimientos
• 3/4 cup pecans chopped
• 1 tsp sriracha or hot sauce of choice
• 24 slider buns I like H&F Bread Co. buns, but Kings Hawaiian are good too!
• 3 green apples thinly sliced

Prep Time 20 minutes Servings people Ingredients 1/2 cup mayonnaise preferably Duke's 1 cup cream cheese softened 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese HAND grated 7 ounces chopped pimientos 3/4 cup pecans chopped 1 tsp sriracha or hot sauce of choice 24 slider buns I like H&F Bread Co. buns, but Kings Hawaiian are good too! 3 green apples thinly sliced

Instructions

1. In a stand mixer, blend cream cheese and mayo until smooth. Add cheddar, pimiento, pecans, and sriracha and blend until combined.
2. Slice buns in half and spread with pimiento cheese. Top with 2-3 apple slices and skewer with a toothpick.