Pimiento cheese. Everybody knows pimiento cheese. Right?
Wrong. Not long after BeeBop and I got married and were immediately exiled to the cold, cold northeastern United States by the U. S. Navy, I was shocked, shocked I tell you, to find out that there were actually people in the world who had never even heard of pimiento cheese. I found this unbelievable, since pimiento cheese was a staple in every southern household that I knew anything about. Pimiento cheese sandwiches were as common to our childhood as peanut butter is to most. It was something that our moms could make up quickly, spread between two pieces of soft white bread, feed us lunch, and be back to the hundreds of tasks they still had to complete that day. It also made appearances as hors d’oeuvres when stuffed in a stalk of celery or spread on a cracker.
Pimiento cheese is a remarkably simple recipe that uses very common ingredients that are nearly always on hand. My basic recipe follows. Once you’ve mastered the basic you can do a little embellishing (a tiny dash of garlic powder, a dash of cayenne, or maybe a few chopped green olives) but don’t stray too far. Otherwise it’s not pimiento cheese any more, but just some fancy cheese spread. Pimiento cheese is not meant for fanciness.
A true Southern classic - Pimiento Cheese. Sharp cheddar cheese, pimiento peppers, and mayo. The real deal! Click To Tweet
Grate 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese. I’m making a half recipe in the photos here, so yours will look like more if you’re following the full recipe.
Add the pimientos.
Add the mayonnaise. I always use Duke’s. It’s made by people who really know what mayonnaise is supposed to taste like.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Using a fork, mix all ingredients together.
Enjoy as a spread on crackers, in a sandwich or stuffed in celery. I like it best on marbled rye with a few potato chips and some pickled okra on the side.
Enjoy!
Pimiento Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 4 oz. jar chopped pimiento, well drained
- 6 tblsp. mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Grate the cheddar cheese.
- Add the pimientos, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper.
- Using a fork, mix all ingredients together.
Notes
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More pimiento cheese recipes you might enjoy:
- Pimiento Cheese from Southern Living Magazine
- Mother’s Everyday Pimento Cheese from Epicurious
- The Lee Brothers’ Pimento Cheese from The New York Times
- Pimento Cheese: It’s a Southern Thing from NPR
- Pimento Cheese from She Wears Many Hats
- Southern Pimento Cheese from Add A Pinch
Please instruct your followers to completely drain the chopped pimento. It’s gross if it’s watery.
I always add a dash of cayenne. I had a delightful pimento cheese sandwich last night for supper. Toasted fresh sourdough bread from a local bakery, and added sliced ham that I baked for Sunday dinner. It was so satisfying that I fell right asleep on the sofa.
Now, if you can just inform the masses of the delights of pineapple sandwiches, tomato sandwiches and the like, you will have performed a true community service.
As always, the pictures are fun.
Miss P
It would be so wrong if I didn’t share this: when in Dallas, go to the Highland Park Pharmacy, sit at the counter and order the “Palm Springs”. Best ever grilled pimento cheese sandwich…hot crispy bread, cold pimento cheese, pickles on the side.. And get a choc milkshake to share, real ice cream and milk no powder “crap”. Makes me want to drive the 3 hours to Big D!
It reminds me a bit of the crustless tea sandwiches that my mum makes. She grew up in Jamaica and her grandparents grew pimento for a living. She would make pimento cheese by mixing the pimentos with cream cheese. Sometimes she puts a gherkin pickle in the sandwiches as well. Yum!
I love pimento cheese. My aunt in the Phlippines would make some really good batches and I end up eating almost half. It was that good. I wish I had some right now. This has brought back some fond memories.
I was also shocked to learn about the mystique of Pimiento Cheese. I make large batches, when I make it because everyone in my family is quite passionate about it. It will be stuffed into celery, dipped, spread, melted, and in general eaten for every meal until it is gone.
I have never met a homemade Pimiento Cheese I didn’t love!
Really? We thought that pimento dip was melted? this is really easy? we love the oldies but goodies…keep them coming. best, s
i didnt know that making pimento cheese was this easy & can be done at home. i am never going to buy it again.
i just realised that your earlier posts are not there.. can i ask how come?
Great Southern sandwich filling! It must be genetic because I never served it to my girls, yet whenever they did have it, they loved it.
I am one of those poor people from the North who didn’t know about pimento cheese until I moved to the South. I don’t like the store bought, but do like homemade. I’ve thought about making it, but never had a recipe. Now I can’t wait. Thanks! And I’ve learned about tomato sandwiches too :)
yay! Tennessee girl who has just discovered her love for pimiento cheese…I felt like an outcast growing up, not liking it! I’ve also started putting a little shredded mozzarella in mine, it makes a nice color contrast with the cheddar. also a little bit of dill.
on another note, THREE CHEERS for pickled okra! we’re growing our own mostly just so we can make homemade jars…and fry it, of course
My goodness you’ve gotten alot of comments on this! Just wanted to tell you that A & I were checking out the blog and he says: “My two favorite things of NaNa’s cooking are Banana Puddin and Pumpkin Pie.” Interestingly enough, I don’t think I could FORCE him to eat either of those things at home. LOL!
This was always a favorite.
Unbelievably simple and delicious. Obviously I’ve had a deprived childhood ‘coz I never had pimento cheese sandwiches … *sob* … will have a word with mom abt that! And will grab a jar of pimentos on my next trip to the grocery store!
There’s lots of flavor in the pimento juice, so I never drain them, particularly a good brand like Mario. I use 4 ounces of pimentos per pound of cheese. Rule number 1 is to chill the pimento cheese overnight before serving to allow it to firm up and for the flavor to develop. A couple of very good deli restuarants clued me in on using the juice.
FoodScout – Thanks for the comment. However, I don’t like the way the juice thins out the pimiento cheese. I like mine quite thick and at room temperature. But, to each his own!
I’m with you on the temperature of pimiento cheese. And this recipe you posted is THE classic pimiento cheese recipe, from my Southern childhood in 1950s Atlanta
Also – a tip which works for me. A couple years back, in a fit of laziness, I made pimiento cheese with pre-grated (shredded) cheese. It tasted different. Next few batches, same thing. I discovered that when Kraft, or whoever, shreds and packages cheese they dust it with some kind of starch so it doesn’t clump together in the package. That is the different taste I found objectionable – slightly flat.
So, if anyone decided they didn’t like this pimiento cheese recipe, please try it with cheese you grate yourself. It really does make a big difference.
Yes, Branch, you’re absolutely right. The shredded cheese is dusted with cornstarch. It will not work in pimiento cheese. You really need to grate it either by hand (my preference) or in a food processor.
Yes, I serve it at room temperature, also, but always chill it overnight before the first serving. It turns out incredibly dense and spreadable. But you’re right, there are as many techniques and recipes for this as there are people. Your article is excellent and the pictures are terrific.
I cream together a half-block of cream cheese with the 4 oz of pimientos and juice, add finely diced jalapenos (deseeded) and then the grated sharp cheddar to desired thickness. A dash of hot sauce never hurts either!
I use about half mayo, half cream cheese. Because it makes it more thick, I may be able to incorporate some of the pimento juice in, too. And I HIGHLY recommend putting pimento cheese on a burger hot off the grill (or out of the skillet) instead of sliced cheese.
I have put pimientos on my shopping list….RaeDi
Never heard of this! But then, I am from Washington. We like our seafood here! But I can hardley wait to try!
Hi Doreen. We love our seafood here in Georgia, too! Pimiento cheese is a staple of southern food. Try it. You might like it!
Thank you so much for your site! Love to cook and I’m from Mobile,Ala ,but moved to Naples Fl and your site helps me not to miss home to much! There is nothin as good as southern food’!
Great dip idea…love it!
I just recently heard of pimiento cheese had have wanted to try it ever since. Thanks for the reminder and the ideas. I just thought to serve it on crackers, but I would kind of like to try it in a sandwich! :D
Megan – Pimiento cheese is such an ingrained part of me from childhood. It’s just always been there and now that it’s being discovered outside the South, it’s so interesting to see the different reactions to it. Most people really like it!
I loved the pimento cheese spread my dad would eat as a snack with crackers when I was a little girl. I am sure this would be even better!
Try adding a little Ro-tel to your batch…yummy! I make large batches…half sharp cheddar, half mild, cheddar, and usually a can or two of Ro-tel…everyone raves!!
This is even better if you drain and chop a jar of roasted red bell pepper or roast your own! Also really good if you add chopped bread and butter pickles. I never make the same twice and my family always loves it, no matter what!
Tracey and Musingegret commented on the added cream cheese. I grew up on my mom’s home made pimento cheese that has a little bit of onion in it. We now buy our pimento cheese (I always hated “store bought” before) from Costco. They carry the St. Pawley’s Island brand, original and jalapeno. It is beautifully creamy. I finally figured out that they add cream cheese when I dipped into a carton and found a chunk of cream cheese that hadn’t been fully incorporated.
I’ve had it with some cream cheese added a couple of times, Donna, but I really prefer it with the chunky texture from grated sharp cheddar.
oh goodness, I have to have pimento cheese and celery tonight
It’s one of my favorites, too, Paula. Enjoy it!
Kevin – grilled pimento cheese sandwiches were one of my mother’s favorites. After she toasted them in a skillet with butter, she’d pry the sandwich open and add a crispy piece of lettuce. Pretty darn good.
Lana – was there a recipe that used Velvetta? I personally like cheddar, but I have memories of watching some mother in the neighborhood grate a big, old block of Velvetta.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of making it with Velveeta, Linda. I just like sharp cheddar in mine.
Velvetta Pimiento Cheese – Check out Myron Mixon’s recipe(winningest man in barbecue). It’s different from the old standard in that he uses Velvetta, does not drain the pimiento, and sugar. I cut back way on the sugar though. Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed. Not giving up on the old time recipe, but it’s always nice to try something different. Hope you will too!
Cut way back on the black pepper also in Myron’s recipe. (Sorry)
Pimento cheese! I grew up with this very recipe and always used Duke’s mayonnaise. A small amount of pimento juice and a pinch of sugar mixed together with cheese and a pinch of black pepper then refrigerated overnight and served at room temperature is THE best.
Duke’s mayonnaise spread on 1 side of 2 slices of bread, with drained, crushed pineapple for the filling, makes the best of sandwiches. Vidalia Onions sliced thinly as another,delicious filler. As long a Duke’s is used, you can put just about anything between 2 pieces of bread and it’s “Gooder than snuff and not half as dusty”.
Velvetta Pimienta Cheese – Recently came across Myron Mixon’s (Winningest Man in Barbecue) recipe for Velvetta Pimiento Cheese.
He uses Velvetta, pimiento not drained, sugar & black pepper (although I cut way back on these two ingredients). Not giving up on the old standard, but his is a pleasant change. My family & friends love it. Hope you give it a try.