Conventional Southern Pimento Cheese is creamy, tangy, spreadable, and greatest served chilly on a membership cracker, in case you ask me! Earlier than you choose to purchase it pre-made at a grocery retailer, you’re going to need to strive my tremendous straightforward recipe made with only a handful of easy substances: sharp cheddar, cream cheese, mayonnaise, chopped pimentos, and some pantry seasonings. That little jar of pimentos won’t commonly grace your pantry shelf, nevertheless it’s straightforward to search out with the opposite canned veggies on the grocery retailer, and it offers this traditional cheese unfold its signature candy pepper taste and fairly crimson flecks!
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Creamy Pimento Cheese Dip
If I needed to record the highest meals I affiliate with Southern residing, conventional pimento cheese could be near the very prime. It’s really a traditional! Generally referred to as the “pâté of the South,” pimento cheese is a creamy, tacky unfold that’s simply pretty much as good with crackers as it’s tucked into sandwiches, spooned onto burgers, or served with crunchy greens for events, potlucks, and recreation days.
The most important debate with pimento cheese is whether or not it is best to use cream cheese or no cream cheese, and I landed proper within the center for this model. Some recipes skip it to maintain the cheddar taste entrance and heart, however I like utilizing slightly as a result of it makes the unfold smoother, creamier, and tangier when scooped straight from the fridge. Utilizing simply 4 oz. retains the sharp cheddar from getting buried, so you continue to get a daring tacky taste with a softer, extra spreadable texture. It additionally helps the unfold soften properly if you wish to use it past crackers (like within the pimento grilled cheese I make in our home made mayo video on YouTube!)
- Shred the cheese your self. Freshly shredded sharp cheddar offers pimento cheese the most effective texture and taste. Pre-shredded cheese is handy, nevertheless it’s often coated with anti-caking substances that may make the unfold style slightly drier and fewer creamy.
- Ensure that the cream cheese is softened. Room-temperature cream cheese blends way more easily with the mayonnaise. If it’s too chilly, you’ll find yourself chasing little cream cheese lumps across the bowl as a substitute of getting a creamy base!
- Fold within the cheese and peppers. As soon as the cheddar and pimentos go into the bowl, swap from beating to softly folding. This retains the cheddar shreds and pimentos intact, so the pimento cheese is creamy however nonetheless has the traditional chunky texture.
- Customise the warmth. I add cayenne pepper for slightly heat with out making the unfold too spicy. For extra kick, add 1-2 tsp scorching sauce (any model), improve the cayenne to ¼ tsp, or fold in 1-2 Tbsp finely chopped jalapeños with the seeds eliminated. Begin small, style, and add extra in case you prefer it spicier.
- Style earlier than including salt. I don’t add salt as a result of cheddar, cream cheese, and mayonnaise already carry loads of seasoning. Give it a style after you combine every part, then add a pinch of salt in case you want it.
Pimento Cheese
Value $5.74 recipe / $0.71 serving
This Southern Pimento Cheese recipe is creamy, spreadable, and stuffed with sharp cheddar taste with candy pimentos and easy pantry seasonings!
Collect your substances.
Shred the sharp cheddar and drain the jar of pimentos.
Chop the pimentos into smaller items.
Add the softened cream cheese and mayonnaise to a big bowl. Beat utilizing a hand mixer till easy and mixed.
Add the shredded cheddar, chopped pimentos, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper to the whipped cream cheese combination. Fold to evenly mix.
Serve instantly, or cowl and refrigerate till able to serve.
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**I take advantage of Duke’s mayonnaise, which is a traditional Southern mayo with a wealthy and tangy taste. You need to use any mayonnaise you want or have already got readily available.
Serving: 1serving (¼ cup)Energy: 266kcal (13%)Carbohydrates: 3g (1%)Protein: 8g (16%)Fats: 25g (38%)Sodium: 321mg (14%)Fiber: 0.4g (2%)
the way to make Pimento Cheese step-by-step images
Collect all your substances.
Shred the cheese and drain the pimentos: Shred 8 oz. sharp cheddar, then drain one 4 oz. can of chopped pimentos very well. I like shredding the cheese by hand right here as a result of it offers the pimento cheese a softer, creamier texture as soon as I combine every part collectively.
Chop the pimentos smaller: Finely chop the pimentos in order that they unfold evenly by the cheese combination. This provides you little pops of candy pepper taste all through as a substitute of huge items in only some spots.
Whip the creamy base: Add 4 oz. room temperature cream cheese and ½ cup mayonnaise to a big mixing bowl. Beat till the combination seems easy and largely lump-free. Scrape down the edges of the bowl as wanted so no thick pockets of cream cheese are left behind.
Fold to mix: Add the shredded cheddar, drained chopped pimentos, ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, and ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper to the bowl. Fold every part collectively gently till the cheddar is coated within the cream cheese-mayo combine and the crimson pimentos are evenly scattered all through.
Serve or chill: This pimento cheese might be served immediately, nevertheless it will get even higher after chilling within the fridge for an hour or so, because the flavors have time to settle in. Get pleasure from!
Serving Solutions
Pimento cheese is clearly nice with membership crackers, butter crackers, saltines, pretzels, celery sticks, cucumber slices, mini candy peppers, or any veggies you’ve received. It IS made for dipping in spite of everything! Add it to a snack board for events, potlucks, tailgates, holidays, or informal weekend get-togethers, or flip it into a simple meal. Unfold it onto toast for a fast lunch, tuck it right into a sandwich, soften it into grilled cheese, or spoon it onto hamburgers for a tacky topping. My daughter additionally loves it blended into scrambled eggs for breakfast!
This recipe, as written, makes 8 servings (¼ cup every) and may be very straightforward to double or halve relying on how many individuals you’re serving. Simply regulate the servings within the recipe card above, and the ingredient quantities will replace robotically.
Storage Directions
You possibly can retailer leftover dip in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days. It truly will get even higher after slightly time within the fridge as a result of the garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and pimentos have time to mingle with the creamy cheese base! Let it sit at room temperature for about 10-Quarter-hour earlier than serving once more so it softens barely and turns into simpler to scoop. Give it a great stir earlier than serving to recombine.
You can freeze home made pimento cheese unfold in a freezer-safe container for as much as 2-3 months, however I don’t often advocate it as a result of cream cheese and mayo can separate and switch grainy as soon as thawed. In case you do freeze it, stir it very well after thawing within the fridge and use it in one thing melted, like grilled cheese, the place the feel modifications received’t be as noticeable.
