It’s just not during summer until I’ve made pimento cheese. This is a classic Southern snack that is great with crackers (and a whole lot more.) As with any classic, there are countless variations. This is our family version that I make every time—straight from my grandmother’s recipe box.
For more cheesy snacks sure to please, check out my million dollar dip, serve it up hot with Rotel dip, classic buffalo chicken dip, or get fancy with our crack dip!
Fun fact—they are also the little red pepper that is sometimes stuffed into olives. So these peppers love snack time. My family has been making this dip for decades—most often spread on some crispy crackers. Pimento cheese is also surprisingly versatile.
It makes a great last-minute fold-over sandwich, slather it on some celery sticks, or transform it into a fancier appetizer with some triangle toast. Mix up your grilled cheese routine, and stir a little into some grits…I even use it on hamburgers!
This is also perfect to make in advance—it even gets better with some time for the flavors to meld. With so many ways to serve it—making it is the easy part!
I can’t wait to hear your favorite ways to pass the pimento cheese dip!
What Are Pimento Peppers?
Pass the Pimento! If you don’t know—pimentos (or pimientos) are a type of cherry pepper that is essential to this spread. They are easy to find already diced in a jar—and lend a pop of flavor and color to this cheesy classic.
Ingredients For Pimento Cheese Dip
- Cream Cheese
- Extra-sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Mayonnaise
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Pimientos
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Paprika
- Hot Sauce
Tips
Here are a few tips to help ensure the best pimento cheese!
- Cream Cheese: Your recipe should start with softened cream cheese. I
- Pimentos: I use a 4-ounce jar of pimentos for this recipe. They should be well-drained and chopped. I find it helps to just let them sit/drain in a colander for a few minutes while my cream cheese is softening.
- Heat: You can adjust the hot sauce to your taste. My hubby does not like much heat at all so I generally make it pretty mild. If you like it hot, just increase the amount of hot sauce.
- Pre-Shredded Cheese: Use the large holes of a box grater to grate your own cheese. The pre-shredded stuff in a bag is coated with cellulose (aka wood pulp) which negatively affects the flavor.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? According to the USDA, this will keep up to 5 days in the fridge when stored properly. Keep it tightly covered with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container with a secure lid for best results.
- Can You Freeze This? This stuff is just so good it can be tempting to want to save some. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t freeze well. The texture changes when it thaws. Luckily it only takes a couple of minutes to throw a new batch together (and you’ll have that much more to enjoy)!
- Make-Ahead Tips: You can make this a couple of days ahead and keep it in the fridge. However, this does present a bit of a challenge because it can disappear before serving day. (hey, I wouldn’t say it if it hadn’t happened to me)
- Food Safety: You’ll also want to observe the FDA-recommended 2-hour serving rule just to be on the safe side.
Variations
- Add bacon: Bacon is deliciously mixed in this spread. Just cook 2-3 slices, crumble them, and mix them in! You’ll have yourself a batch of bacon pimento cheese!
- Spice It Up: Add chopped jalapeno peppers, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce to taste.
- Green Olives: Add 1/4 cup drained and rinsed chopped green onions. This variation is referred to as Carolina-style pimento cheese.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Some people like a 1/2 teaspoon of this mixed in.
Ways To Use Southern Pimento Cheese
This recipe is incredibly scrumptious and totally versatile. There are so many different things you can do with it, you’ll never run out of delicious flavor options.
- Turkey burgers – My hubby loooves using it to top air fryer turkey burgers because it melts much quicker than regular cheese slices. If you go this route, I recommend using it very cold straight from the fridge.
- Deviled eggs – Make some dolled-up deviled eggs stuffed with pimento cheese instead of the traditional filling. You won’t believe how good it is!
- Pimento grilled cheese sandwich – Go the classic route and make traditional pimento cheese sandwiches or grill them up for a toastier version.
- Pimento cheese spread – Grab your favorite chips, crackers, and some celery and get to dippin’!
- Add this to sausage balls. Next time you throw together Bisquick sausage balls, whip up a batch of pimento cheese and serve up some divinely inspired pimento cheese sausage balls.
- Add in mac and cheese. Next time the fam is begging for baked mac and cheese, serve up pimento mac and cheese instead. It’s so creamy cheesy wonderful, they’ll love you for it.
More Savory Dip Recipes
- Knorr Spinach Dip
- Jalapeño Popper Dip
- White Queso Dip
- Cowboy Queso
- Hissy Fit Dip (My sister’s all-time fav!)
- Cowboy Caviar
- Crab Rangoon Dip
- Greek Dip
- Hot Corn Dip
- Mexican Corn Dip
- Feta Artichoke Dip
- Korean Cheese Corn
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pimento Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 1/2 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1 (4-ounce) jar pimientos drained and chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
Instructions
- Using an electric mixer, beat all ingredients until well combined and creamy.
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Notes
- Cream Cheese: Your recipe should start with softened cream cheese. If you forget to pull it out (like me), there are some options.
- Pimentos: I use a 4-ounce jar of pimentos for this recipe. They should be well-drained and chopped. I find it helps to just let them sit/drain in a colander for a few minutes while my cream cheese is softening.
- Heat: You can adjust the hot sauce to your taste. My hubby does not like much heat at all so I generally make it pretty mild. If you like it hot, just increase the amount of hot sauce.
- Pre-Shredded Cheese: Use the large holes of a box grater to grate your own cheese. The pre-shedded stuff in a bag is coated with cellulose (aka wood pulp) which negatively affects the flavor.
Nutrition
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I have made pimento cheese recipe with ghee instead of using mayo. It was a nice ghee recipe that my family memebers have liked as their weekend snack. I have used organic ghee for cooking the recipe.
Oooh, that’s interesting! I’ve got to try this with ghee. Thank you for the tip! 🙂