You can’t go too far around the Southern U.S.A. without bumping into a fantastic, multipurpose, cheesy treat called Pimiento Cheese. Some spell it pimento, some spell it pimiento. We stick with the latter as it’s the proper, traditional spelling to describe the red pepper that gives this spread its name. However you spell it you can encounter this delight served as a dip, on a sandwich, in deviled eggs, and all kinds of other things that hopefully we’ll get to add to the blog. For now, we start with the basics because none of those things are possible without Homemade Pimiento Cheese!
This may be blasphemy but this classic spread actually came from “up North” as us Southerners would say. If you’re up for some food education this article will quench your thirst for knowledge. Read it if you like, we’ll stick to the instructions. This is very simple to make and will be a party hit at your next gathering. We think our version may be the best, but then again we might be a bit biased. Let’s get to it.
Preparation: Homemade Pimiento Cheese
There are only a handful of ingredients and all are easily acquired at your local supermarket. Gather them up and prep away. We encourage what we think are two critical pieces to this recipe, a freshly grated (not pre grated) extra sharp cheddar cheese and Duke’s mayonnaise. We don’t often call out brands but Duke’s has a richer flavor and we think it makes a difference here. Pre-grated cheese loses a ton of flavor so a little elbow grease will go a long way in making the perfect Homemade Pimiento Cheese.
We add a finely diced jalapeno to this recipe for just a touch of heat. It can be omitted if you don’t tolerate heat at all but it didn’t come out spicy at all. Just a little background heat that is largely muted by the cheese.
Freshly grate a block of extra sharp cheddar and place in a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well with a rubber spatula, gently folding the mixture together. Serve or store in an airtight container. For best results, chill for a couple of hours in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to come together and remove 15 minutes or so before use so the spread softens up.
That’s it. All prep and combining ingredients and you have the perfect Homemade Pimiento Cheese!
Equipment: Homemade Pimiento Cheese
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There’s only very basic equipment for this recipe – a cheese grater, a mixing bowl, and a rubber spatula. If you’re in the market for any of these items, here are a few we would recommend (affiliate links):
If you liked that, try this…
- Cowboy Caviar
- Cilantro Lime Avocado Crema
- Tzatziki
- Homemade BBQ Sauce
- Simple Homemade Bleu Cheese Dressing
- Sun Dried Tomato Aioli
- Homemade Honey Mustard
- Spicy Restaurant Style Salsa (one of our many salsas)
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Homemade Pimiento Cheese
Equipment
- Cheese Grater
- Mixing Bowl
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, freshly grated
- 4 oz. Cream Cheese Room temperature and soft is best
- 1 jar Diced Pimentos, drained 7 oz. jar
- 3 oz. Duke's Mayonnaise We don't normally call out a brand here but trust us
- 1 Jalapeno, seeded and diced
- ¼ tsp. Ground Cayenne Pepper Or to taste (optional)
- Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Freshly grate a block of extra sharp cheddar and place in a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well with a rubber spatula, gently folding the mixture together. Serve or store in an airtight container.
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