I will spare you the details, but as a young child, I was scarred by a gloppy, unpleasant pimiento cheese sandwich. So, it took me years—and this Pimiento Cheese Spread recipe—to finally understand what all the fuss is about. Creamy, cheesy, and full of flavor, I’ve started making the spread, which doubles as a dip, for every gathering I host, whether it’s a fancier party over the holidays or a casual summer cookout. I also tote it to potlucks. No matter where I’m serving it, someone always, and I mean always, asks me for the recipe.
My friends and I aren’t the only ones who are obsessed with it. This Pimiento Cheese Spread is the most popular dip on MyRecipes, our new digital recipe box that allows you to easily save and store your favorite REAL SIMPLE recipes all in one place. Plus, it has earned rave reviews on our website. Since you’ll want to try it ASAP, here’s a quick primer on how to make it, serve it, and store it. Happy dipping!
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What Makes This Recipe So Good
Pimiento cheese spread, a Southern staple, is named after the small, chopped pimiento peppers that give the dip its color and flavor. Traditional recipes typically have mayonnaise, a jar of drained pimientos, cayenne pepper, and lots of shredded Cheddar cheese. Some also include grated onion, Worcestershire sauce, and cream cheese.
Our version has a few smart tricks up its sleeve. We dialed back the mayo and did include cream cheese, making for a thick, luscious dip. We use the liquid in the pimiento cheese jar (instead of draining it away) to add more color and flavor. We also added a scallion and chopped jalapeño pepper for a touch more heat. Finally, onion powder and garlic powder give the spread major flavor, making this pimiento cheese deeply delicious and extremely hard to stop eating.
How to Make Pimiento Cheese Spread
My favorite part about this recipe, aside from how good it tastes when I’m eating it, is how simple it is to make. Unlike many dips, you don’t need to break out your food processor or blender. You just stir everything together in a large bowl.
To make the spread, you’ll need 1 scallion, a 4-ounce jar of pimiento peppers, cream cheese, mayonnaise, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, garlic and onion powders, a jalapeño pepper, and 8 ounces of extra-sharp Cheddar cheese.
Start by chopping the scallion and separating the white and green parts. Then drain the liquid from the pimiento jar into a bowl. Add softened cream cheese, mayo, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne. Stir in a lot of shredded Cheddar, chopped jalapeño, drained pimientos, and the scallion whites. Stir it up, transfer to a serving dish, and garnish with the scallion greens. That’s it! You’re ready to dip and spread your way to happiness.
Resist starting with pre-grated cheese for this recipe. Store-bought shredded cheese is coated in an anti-caking mixture that will change the texture of the dip.
How to Serve and Store It
Serve the pimiento dip with veggie crudité, such as carrots, celery, cucumber, sugar snap peas, or blanched cauliflower, broccoli, or asparagus. Add it to a cheese board, or spread it on crackers or crostini. The dip is thick, so it’s easy to spread it on in a big, delicious dollop.
Make the pimiento cheese spread up to two days ahead of time. Bring it to room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Leftovers will keep tightly wrapped in the fridge for two or three days.
What Reviewers Are Saying
One reviewer, who left the recipe five stars, said, “This is easy to make with very little prep and clean up. Works good as a sandwich/wrap filling too.” I love the idea of adding it to a sandwich, such as this Bacon Pimiento Grilled Cheese—yum. Another reviewer said simply, “Tastes GREAT!” and I could not agree more.
