Pimento Cheese
Updated April 11, 2024
- Total Time
- 5 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 8ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated with a food processor or hand grater (not pre-grated)
- ¼cup softened cream cheese (2 ounces), pulled into several pieces
- Scant ½ cup jarred pimento or other roasted red peppers (from a 7-ounce jar), finely diced
- 3tablespoons Duke’s, Hellmann’s or other high-quality store-bought mayonnaise
- ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
239 calories; 21 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 9 grams protein; 318 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large mixing bowl, place the Cheddar in an even layer. Scatter the cream cheese, pimentos, mayonnaise, red-pepper flakes and salt and pepper over the Cheddar. Using a spatula, mix the pimento cheese until it is smooth and spreadable.
- Step 2
Transfer the pimento cheese to a bowl or container, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Private Notes
Comments
I'm no purist where recipes are concerned, but when I was growing up in North Carolina, making pimento cheese was a simple process: 8 ounces of sharp cheddar coarsely grated, one 4-oz. jar of diced pimentos with the liquid, 1/3 to 1/2 cups of mayonnaise, preferably Duke's but definitely unsweetened (forget Hellman's and other northern grocery store brands). One teaspoon of white vinegar. Salt, if desired. Cream cheese? No way. Onion? Garlic? Why not chocolate chips?
Replace the cream cheese with good mayo as mayo adds flavor and the cream cheese just dilutes it. Grated onion adds a nice bite, but if serving onion averse crown, add a dash of onion powder and garlic powder. Then add Sriracha sauce and/or Worcester Sauce. Make a day ahead for flavors to meld.
Why not throw it all in the food processor and pulse it a few times. The food processor bowl is already greasy from grating the cheese (at least at my house).
I’ve made this twice now. The first time, I used Hellman’s and found the flavor to be lacking a wow factor. Then a couple of weeks ago I picked up a jar of Duke’s for different recipe, and I couldn’t stop thinking about trying the pimento cheese again with the Duke’s. It was so much better this time. I didn’t even need the salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes. I used Tillamook Sharp Cheddar, next time I will use the Extra Sharp. I had Extra Sharp White Cheddar in the fridge but I couldn’t bring myself to use white cheddar instead of orange. I will also reserve the pimento liquid and try adding a little bit of that in. Used a 4oz jar of pimentos which gave me a scant 1/3 cup.
@Kristin That is supposed to say a scant 1/2 cup.
For a Texas version, include minced jalapeños. The bite of the jalapeños helps with the overall richness - maybe by just eating less of it!
After years of making pimento cheese the “original way” or “Southern” way, I tried a recipe with cream cheese. The difference I noticed? After refrigerating the cream cheese firmed up again and made the pimento cheese very hard to spread on either crackers or bread, without adding much flavor. If I use it again I would buy whipped cream cheese, for sure.