Pimento cheese, that southern caviar spread, is delicious in its classic form and even more so with added ingredients. Just a few simple add-ins of cream cheese, pecans, jalapenos, and seasonings can take this quintessential pate' to the next level of flavor!
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There's no need in buying the pre-packaged pimento cheese when you can make it fresh with this easy recipe. This is one of my husband's favorite foods and his mother makes the best. When asked how she makes it, I got the "with some of this and some of that" answer. So after experimenting in the kitchen with some of this and some of that, here is what I came up with, and then some!
Pimento Cheese, Let Me Count The Ways
Oh, how many ways can we eat this pimento cheese? Here are just a few:
- In a sandwich
- On a celery stick
- On a cracker
- Dipped with a chip
- Rolled in a tortilla with meat
- Melted on a baked potato
- In your grits!
- Stuffed in a boiled egg
- Or simply on a spoon
And with a few more ingredients you can make your pimento cheese even more appealing.
Just Mix And Eat
Start your southern caviar with a chunk of good, sharp cheddar cheese and use the whole jar of chopped pimento. No draining here. You want a moist and flavorful spread.
Oh, and if time permits, grate your own cheese because it just tastes better and
After stirring together cheese, mayo, pimento, garlic, and salt you can stop here and enjoy the classic version which is so much better than the store-bought containers.
Or, continue by adding cream cheese (which brings more creaminess and a different cheesy flavor), chopped pecans, onion powder, and yes . . . cayenne pepper!
Or, chop up a large jalapeño pepper, with or without the seeds, and stir into the classic recipe with some cream cheese. You know the seeds add more heat so it's your choice on how hot you want it!
PrintRecipe
Pimento Cheese: Classic, Pecan, And Jalapeno
This basic but classic cheese spread recipe comes with a few more options to enjoy.
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 ¼ cups 1x
Ingredients
Classic
2 cups or 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup mayonnaise
1 2-ounce jar chopped pimento with juice
½ teaspoon garlic granules
¼ teaspoon salt
Pecan
Use Classic ingredients and add these:
2 ounces cream cheese
¼ cup pecans, rough chopped
¼ teaspoon onion powder
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Jalapeno
Use Classic ingredients and add these:
2 ounces cream cheese
1 large jalapeno pepper, with or without seeds and veins
Instructions
For any version, add ingredients into a medium-large size bowl.
Stir, mixing together and refrigerate.
Notes
Rough chop means leaving large chunks to bite into for more nutty flavor.
Keeps well refrigerated up to a five days.
Add as many or none of the seeds and veins of the jalapeno pepper to the recipe as you want to control the heat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: pimento cheese
You can see how these pimento cheese spreads make great appetizers as well as adding more flavor to your meals. Here are some more appetizer recipes like this Easy Appetizer Charcuterie Boards, Easy Spinach Bread, Cheesy Greek Bread, and Chicken Wraps.
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