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!

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 canned or jarred.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.

• 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

This is the summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below.

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 for 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.
• You can substitute roasted red pepper for the pimentos.
• Mirin is a sweetened sake and can be found in the Asian food section of some grocery stores. Substitutions for mirin include 2 tablespoons of sherry mixed with 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar. You could also substitute maple syrup.

Ways to Serve Pimento Cheese

• With saltines, Ritz crackers, crisp crackers, chips, crostini, or try them with my Fire Cracker Crackers.
• Spread over thin slices of rye or white toast for tea sandwiches.
• With veggies like celery sticks, carrot sticks, and red bell peppers.
• Stuffed in little steamed red potatoes (hollow out the inside with a melon baller).
• With slices of bell pepper or cucumber.
• In a warm omelet.
• 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.

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