Best Pimento Cheese Recipe
Never underestimate the power of a good pimento cheese recipe. Bold and creamy pimento cheese spread is a right-of-passage here in the south.
Southern cooks are serious cooks.
Don’t be misled by the warm hospitable smile or charming southern draw. Cooking is a serious business down here.
If someone states they’ve got a great recipe for strawberry pie, you can bet it’s been passed down in the family for generations… And has possibly won a blue ribbon at the county fair. I’ve never lived in a place where so many people are avid cooks with years of home training from mama, granny, and great-gran-nanny as well.
Certain dishes must be conquered with skill and finesse in order to call yourself a Southern cook.
What Ingredients You Will Need
Ingredients for the BEST Pimento Cheese Recipe…
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic (very small), minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 8 ounces shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups)
- 8 oz shredded pepper jack cheese (2 cups)
- 1/3 cup chopped pimentos, drained
- Pepper
How to Make Classic Pimento Cheese Recipe
Instructions…
Place the cream cheese, garlic, and onion in the food processor. Puree until smooth. Then add the mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce and puree again.
Scrape the bowl and add half the shredded cheese. Pulse until well combined.
Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Add the remaining cheese, pimentos, and pepper to taste. Stir to mix, cover, and place in the fridge. Allow the pimento cheese spread to chill and thicken for 30 minutes before serving.
You can store this cheese blend in a mason jar, or a plastic airtight container.
Other Classic Southern Dish to Pair With This Appetizer
Hidden under a frilly toile apron, the southern cook has an arsenal of dishes that will make your head spin. cheesy grits, squash casserole, spiced ham, tomato pie, corn pudding, collard greens, cornbread, spoonbread, and red velvet cake are considered the big guns.
But DO NOT, under any circumstances, forget to pack a good pimento cheese recipe in your holster.
Consider yourself warned.
The Best Pimento Cheese Dip Scoopers
Pimento cheese spread is the quintessential Southern Staple snack. A killer pimento cheese recipe must have a thick and creamy texture, not runny and overly mayonnaisey. It also needs to have a good amount of diced pimentos and a little extra something that no one can quite put their finger on.
Pimento cheese spread is fantastic on crackers, chips, veggies, apples, as a topper for baked potatoes, carrots, or broccoli… And of course, as the filling in a Pimento Cheese Sandwich on white bread.
Homemade Pimento Cheese Tips
My perky pimento cheese recipe is a little spicy. The extra something I add is a nip of Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. I also use a combination of Extra Sharp Cheddar and Pepper Jack Cheese, instead of traditional Cheddar and Monterrey Jack.
It is important to let the pimento cheese spread sit for a while after it’s prepared to thicken and absorb all the flavors. Then set it in the middle of a crowd, put on your Southern badge of honor, and watch it disappear at bullet speed!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does this recipe last?
You can store this cheese spread in the fridge for about 10 days. Keeping it in an airtight container will help it to stay fresh longer.
What can I substitute in this recipe for the mayonnaise?
Not a fan of mayonnaise? You can use cottage cheese, sour cream, or Greek yogurt instead of mayo.
What vegetables would be good to dip in this spread?
You can dip nearly any vegetable that you love in pimento cheese. Cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, red bell peppers, sweet cherry peppers, or celery sticks are all good options.
More Easy Dips and Spread Recipes
- Hot Smoked Pimento Cheese
- Mexican 5 Layer Bean Dip
- Fire Roasted Corn Dip
- Creamy Dill Dip
- Crockpot Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Easy Remoulade Sauce
- Retro Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
Best Pimento Cheese Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounce cream cheese
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic (very small), minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 8 ounces shredded extra sharp cheddar (2 cups)
- 8 ounces shredded pepper jack cheese (2 cups)
- 1/3 cup chopped pimentos, drained
- Pepper
Instructions
- Place the cream cheese, garlic and onion in the food processor. Puree until smooth. Then add the mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce and puree again.
- Scrape the bowl and add half the shredded cheese. Pulse until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Add the remaining cheese, pimentos, and pepper to taste. Mix, cover, and place in the fridge. Allow the pimento cheese spread to chill and thicken for 30 minutes before serving.
This pimento cheese recipe is so good!! The whole family enjoyed it, thank you for sharing!
Delicious and so easy to make!! Such a great recipe, thank you!
This pimento cheese recipe is so rich and creamy! Can’t get enough of it!
Hy , :) i’m Daniela
great recipe and great developer… i just love your recipes
but you’ve got to tell me please … i saw in your videoclip a mandoline slicer
can you tell me the type or a link in a store … thank you so much
yours , Daniela
Hi Daniela,
I have the OXO Steel Slicer. You can find it on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003L0OP1G/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=aspiper-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B003L0OP1G&linkId=fce22cb514f669b240cb55c763f996cd
What crackers did you use for this dip
Hello from Iowa
The family is coming over tomorrow and I’m trying this out on them! It looks wonderful!
I love this recipe for pimiento cheese. It reminds me of the spread my father always makes. Part of my father’s (and grandfather’s) company is canning the Dromedary pimientos that are found in grocery stores all over the country. We love to see people eating pimiento cheese and using it in so many different ways! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe and southern favorite!