Southern Pimento Cheese

This quick and easy flavor-packed Southern Pimento Cheese Recipe takes less than ten minutes to make and is a favorite appetizer for friends and family. Sharp cheddar, white cheddar, pimentos, and a handful of other common kitchen ingredients are added to a cream cheese mayonnaise base to make one of the best dips ever!

Is your life a crazy whirlwind of activity that is hard to keep up with sometimes? Do you love to make great food, sip on great wine, and entertain from time to time? I LOVE IT, but the days are often packed to the brim, and there does not seem to be enough of me to go around. You can whip this delicious Quick Southern Pimento Cheese up in about ten minutes.

This crazy good cheese dip can be prepared in advance, stored in an airtight container, and stirred before placing it in a serving bowl. It is delicious served with celery, carrots, crackers, and crostini. Serve leftovers on baked potatoes or spread between two slices of white bread and make delectable pimento cheese sandwiches. If you like this dip, try my spinach artichoke dip, pizza dip, and jalapeno popper dip.

What is Pimento Cheese?

Pimento cheese is a creamy, tangy cheese spread made with cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheddar, and pimentos. It is a trendy dish in Southern cuisine and is sometimes referred to as “Southern Pate.”

Pimentos are a type of chili pepper. They are as red as bell peppers but slightly sweeter and mildly hot. Pimentos are generally canned or jarred.

What You’ll Need

• Cream Cheese: preferably full fat and softened to room temperature
• Mayonnaise: I like Duke’s, but there are other good brands out there
• Cheddar Cheese: good quality, sharp or white cheddar cheese with tons of flavor
• Spices: a few common pantry spices like onion powder, garlic powder, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, salt, and freshly ground black pepper
• Worcestershire Sauce: Lee % Perrins is the best
• Pimento Peppers: diced and jarred. They are usually in the same aisle as the pickles at the grocery store.
• Mirin: although most Southerners would turn their noses up at this, it adds a sweetness that melds with the other flavors.

How to Make Pimento Cheese

Using a stand or hand mixer and a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth, creamy, and lump-free. Then add your cheeses, spices, Worcestershire Sauce, and mirin (optional). Finally, stir in the pimentos and refrigerate the mixture until 30 minutes before serving.

Preparation Tips

• Use an electric mixer or spoon to combine for optimal texture and flavor. A food processor is not recommended, as you want the spread to retain most of its texture.
• You can substitute roasted red pepper for the pimentos.
• Use real mayo for this recipe. Duke’s is by far my favorite.
• Mirin is sweetened sake and can be found in the Asian food section of some grocery stores. Substitutions for the mirin include 2 tablespoons of sherry mixed with 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar. You could also substitute maple syrup.

Serving Suggestions

• With saltines, Ritz crackers, crisp crackers, chips, or crostini
• Spread over little rye or white toasts for tea sandwiches
• With veggies like celery sticks, carrot sticks, and red bell peppers.
• Stuffed in little steamed red potatoes (hallow out the inside with a melon baller)
• With slices of bell pepper or cucumber
• In a warm omelet
• With sliced apples
• Spread between slices of white bread and grilled (the best-grilled cheese sandwich ever)

Storage

Store this spread in the fridge until about 30 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

This delicious dip is delectable, easy, loved, and foolproof. Put the ingredients on your grocery list, and let me know what you think.

More Party Appetizers

Hot Spinach Dip

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Queso Fundido

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Crab Rangoon Dip

Wonton Chips

Pimento Cheese Recipe

This classic Southern Pimento Cheese is sure to be the hit of your next party.  To take it over the top, serve in little steamed red potatoes.

5 from 69 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Southern

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 226kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 1 box 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup mayo preferably Duke’s
• 1 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese shredded
• 1 cup white cheddar cheese shredded
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon mirin optional
• 1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimentos drained
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and mayo until smooth and creamy.  Add the cheddar cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and mirin (optional); beat just until blended. Stir in pimentos.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Refrigerate until 30 minutes prior to serving.

Video

Notes

• For optimal texture and flavor, use an electric mixer or spoon to combine. A food processor is not recommended, as you want the spread to retain most of its texture.
• You can substitute roasted red pepper for the pimentos.
• Use real mayo for this recipe. Dukes is by far my favorite.
• Store this spread in the refrigerator. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. 

Nutrition

Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 383mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 174IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 170mg | Iron: 1mg

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