Submitted by Sue Dwyer, Connemara Mixed Doubles B1
| 8 | oz. cream cheese, softened |
| 1/4 | cup mayonnaise |
| 1 | tsp. Worcestershire sauce |
| 1/2 | tsp. Dijon mustard |
| 1/2 | tsp. garlic salt |
| 1/4 | tsp. onion powder |
| 1/4 | tsp. cayenne pepper |
| 8 | oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated |
| 1 | 4-oz. jar of diced pimentos, drained |
| 1 1/2 | cups diced, cooked bacon |
| 1 1/2 | cups pecans, toasted and finely chopped |
| 1-2 | jalapeños, minced |
| pretzel sticks | |
| salt and pepper to taste |
To make the pimento cheese, use an electric mixer to beat cream cheese until smooth in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic salt, onion powder and cayenne. Scrape bowl and mix in grated cheddar and diced pimentos until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or until firm. To make the mini bites, combine diced bacon, chopped pecans and minced jalapeños in a medium-sized bowl. Using a spoon or small cookie scoop, form heaping tablespoons of pimento cheese into balls. Roll each pimento cheese ball in the mixture of bacon, pecans and jalapeños, pressing coating into cheese so that it adheres. Refrigerate cheese balls until firm, and keep them chilled until ready to serve. Just before serving, skewer each cheese ball with a pretzel stick.
