This homemade pimento cheese recipe is easy to make, stores well for several days, and tastes so much better than the store-bought version. Make a big batch of this delicious dip before the holiday season to enjoy with sliced red bell peppers, cucumbers, carrot or celery sticks, pita triangles, and buttery crackers. You can also use the cheese spread on grilled cheese sandwiches and burgers for a bit of zest! For more dip recipes, try my buffalo chicken dip recipe, spinach artichoke dip, or queso dip recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Sharp Cheddar Cheese – freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese has the best flavor. Use the grater attachment on your food processor to quickly shred a larger block of cheese. Pre-shredded cheese will work as well. Pimentos – diced pimento peppers are the key ingredient in this recipe. Find these small cherry peppers in a jar in the produce section of your grocery store or stocked with other jarred peppers like jalapenos. Drain the peppers well and pat dry before dicing. You can substitute diced roasted red bell peppers if you don’t have pimentos. Cream Cheese – cube and soften the cream cheese before using so it easily mixes with the other ingredients. Regular or low-fat cream cheese works for this recipe. Spices – a combination of garlic powder, onion, powder, Cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper adds just the right spice profile. You can adjust the heat by increasing or decreasing the Cayenne pepper.
How to Make Pimento Cheese
- Combine the cheddar, softened cream cheese, and pimentos in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the mayonnaise.
- Sprinkle in the garlic powder, onion powder, and Cayenne pepper
- Stir together until very well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Amounts will vary based on the brands of cheese and mayo you use, so just taste as you go! For the best flavor, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
Shred your own cheese. Freshly shredded cheese has the best flavor. Use the grater attachment on your food processor to quickly grate cheese. Sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese is the traditional cheese to use in this Southern cheese spread recipe, but you can also make it with regular cheddar, white cheddar, or a combination. Drain the peppers. The pimento peppers will come in a jar packed in water. Drain the peppers in a strainer and then pat them dry with paper towels before dicing. This will remove any excess liquid. Use your favorite mayonnaise. This recipe gets some of its flavor from the mayonnaise, so use your favorite brand of mayo for a taste you’ll love. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients except the salt and pepper, then season to taste. The cheese and mayonnaise brands you select may need more or less salt or pepper. For an extra savory kick, skip the salt and season to taste with Worcestershire sauce. Refrigerate before serving. The flavors will develop as the dip sits, so refrigerate the pimiento cheese for at least one hour. After chilling, set it out at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. If the dip is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of additional mayonnaise. Mix by hand or use a mixer. Keep it simple and mix this recipe by hand or use a stand mixer or electric hand mixer. When using an electric mixer, use a lower speed so you don’t break down the shredded cheese and peppers too much.
If you’ve tried this recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
