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Pimento Cheese is a Southern classic for a reason! Made with simple ingredients like cream cheese (no mayo), shredded cheddar, and pimento peppers, it’s perhaps one of the most versatile dips ever!
This Pimento cheese is as lovely in your breakfast omelet as it is on your grilled cheese, burgers, or mac & cheese. It makes a fantastic dip for your crackers and veggie tray, too! With just 6 ingredients and about 5 minutes of effort, this is an absolute “must save” recipe.
Why We Love This Recipe
- It Uses No Mayo. Pimiento cheese recipes often call for the addition of mayonnaise, but I prefer the smoother, creamier consistency of cream cheese.
- You Only Need 6 Ingredients. With such a short grocery list, you won’t spend long trying to find the simple ingredients.
- It’s Crazy Versatile! Yes, this is an excellent dip for parties, but is also so much more. Use it to spruce up your weekend brunch by putting it in your eggs or grits, sandwiches or wraps.
What you need
Ingredient Notes
- Cream Cheese – For the best flavor and texture, I suggest using full-fat cream cheese. Neuchatel is a good enough substitute.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Reach for a block if you can; freshly grated cheese has a much better taste and texture. However, since you’re not melting the cheese, a pre-shredded bag will work in a pinch.
- Pimento Peppers – These can come either canned or jarred; either is fine! Just be sure to drain off any water or oil prior to adding them to your cheese spread. If you simply can’t find any, reach for peeled roasted red bell peppers instead.
- Jalapeno Peppers – Jalapeños bring a little zing to this cheese spread. I used jarred jalapenos but you can up the heat level by using fresh ones.
How To Make Homemade Pimento Cheese
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. You want it to be fluffy and smooth.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and beat the mixture again until smooth and totally incorporated.
- Chill in the fridge for one hour.
- Serve with crackers, veggies, etc., and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
As a spreadable cheese, this pimento dip has nearly countless uses in our house — not just for parties! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- As part of a snack lunch with multigrain crackers, veggie sticks, and sliced apples.
- Melted onto burgers or in grilled cheese sandwiches.
- Mixed into mac and cheese.
- As a filling for omelets or baked potatoes.
- Stirred into cheesy grits or savory oats.
- Melted onto nachos.
- Shape it into a cheese ball and roll it in nuts.
Storage Tips
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
Store in the fridge: It is best to store this cheese dip in an airtight container. It’ll keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Don’t try to freeze it – I don’t recommend storing in the freezer. It dramatically changes the consistency of the dip and it won’t taste as fresh compared to when it is stored in the fridge.
Recipe Tips
- Mix up your cheeses. While a traditional pimento cheese recipe is made with sharp cheddar, there’s no rule against using white cheddar, pepper jack, smoked gouda, or any other cheese of your liking!
- Is it spicy? While there are jalapenos in this particular recipe, I find that they are easily balanced out by the sheer amount of dairy in the spread.
- Control the heat – For a spicier cheese spread, mix in fresh jalapenos instead of jarred. Careful, they can be really spicy, so remove the seeds and membranes to keep the heat level down. Pimento peppers aren’t spicy, but they do bring a little bit of heat.
- Serving a Crowd – For serving at an outdoor buffet or picnic, serve in a metal bowl nested inside of a slightly larger bowl filled with very icy water. (For food safety, keep it below 40°F.)
More Cheesy Dips You’ll Love
- Pineapple Cheese Ball
- Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Blue Cheese Dip
- Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball
- Blueberry Goat Cheese
- Cream Cheese Shrimp Dip
Pimento Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 8 ounce Block of cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup Sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 ounce Can pimento peppers
- 3 tablespoons Diced jalapeno peppers
- 1 teaspoon Minced onion
- 1 teaspoon Garlic salt
Instructions
- Whip the cream cheese in a medium sized bowl for 1-2 minutes
- Add in the remaining ingredients and whip the mixture again until smooth and homogenous.
- Chill in the fridge for one hour.
- Serve with crackers, veggies, etc. and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
