Vintage Southern Pimento Cheese Dip

Fresh cheddar cheese, tangy cream cheese, sweet pimentos, and just enough cayenne pepper come together in this creamy pimento cheese recipe that I brought to every single cookout last summer. It takes about ten minutes to mix, chills beautifully, and works just as well spread on crackers as it does tucked into a sandwich.

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Southern pimento cheese feels so tied to the South that I assumed it had always been there. It actually started as a Northern spread made with cream cheese and imported Spanish pimentos before Georgia farmers made the peppers widely available.

Southern cooks later incorporated cheddar and mayonnaise, creating the creamy cheese spread we know today. As an immigrant, I certainly didn't encounter it at church picnics or family reunions. But once I started digging through old Southern recipes, it was impossible to miss.

This is classic pimento cheese, rich and a little sharp, with the cheddar carrying most of the flavor and the mayo keeping it soft and creamy. The pimentos bring a mild sweetness and that familiar red color, while the cayenne pepper adds just enough warmth in the background.

I love it scooped onto crackers, but it also works as a sandwich spread or a topping for fried green tomatoes. When I'm putting together an appetizer table, it usually ends up beside my Vintage Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball, and neither tends to leave leftovers.

My husband was sold after the first bite. Growing up, he was perfectly happy with cheddar and crackers, so turning that combination into a creamy cheese spread was not a hard sell. My kids took longer. They spent more time inspecting the little red pieces than actually eating them.

Now my son asks for a pimento cheese sandwich on soft white bread, and my daughter prefers hers piled onto Ritz crackers while she raids the fridge between activities. They are just as enthusiastic when I put out my Vintage Southern Cream Cheese Ball With Bacon Bits, which probably explains why I always need extra crackers on hand.

What keeps me making this southern cheese recipe is how dependable it is. I can make homemade pimento cheese the night before guests arrive, cover and refrigerate it, and know it will be ready when I need it. It also happens to be one of those recipes that somehow tastes even better after a few hours in the fridge, much like my Vintage Pineapple Cheese Ball With Pecans.

I have made this for family gatherings, for Memorial Day appetizers while the grill is heating up, holiday snack tables, and casual summer get-togethers. It's perfect for a Kentucky Derby party. And every single time, people come flocking to it. After plenty of batches and a few small tweaks, this is the version I keep coming back to. Here is everything that goes into it.

Ingredients

Start with cream cheese that is nice and soft so it blends smoothly, and grate a block of cheddar cheese yourself, since freshly shredded cheese mixes in far better than pre-shredded cheese. The pimentos, also called pimento peppers, are sweet roasted red peppers from a jar, milder than a raw red bell pepper, so you just drain and chop them. Mayonnaise pulls it together, and most Southern cooks swear by Duke's. A pinch of cayenne is my secret ingredient, with pepper jack or diced jalapeño for extra heat if you want it.

See the recipe card for exact quantities.

How to Make Vintage Southern Pimento Cheese Dip

This southern pimento cheese recipe could not be easier. It takes one bowl, five ingredients, no stove time, and a short chill before you dig in. Here is how I make pimento cheese.

Shred the cheese

Grate the sharp cheddar fresh off the block instead of buying shredded cheddar in a bag. Bagged, pre-shredded cheese is coated to stop clumping, so it never melts in the way freshly grated cheese does, and doing your own gives the best flavor by a mile. A box grater works, or a stand mixer if you would rather save your arm.

Mix the creamy base

• Stir in the cayenne, a little onion powder and garlic powder, and salt and black pepper to taste.
• If the cream cheese is still cold and stiff, ten seconds in the microwave loosens it right up.

Fold in the cheese and pimentos

Add the grated cheddar and the drained pimentos, then fold gently with a spatula until the diced pimentos are spread evenly through. Drain them well first, or the extra liquid will leave the dip loose. Stop while there is still some texture, unless your crew likes it smoother. Taste, and tweak the heat with more cayenne, a dash of hot sauce, or a chopped pickle.

Cover, chill, and serve

• Pull it out about 30 minutes before serving so it softens for scooping.
• Serve it cold with crackers or celery sticks, spread thick on white bread, or melted into a grilled cheese sandwich with a dusting of paprika on top.
• A leftover grilled pimento cheese sandwich, slow-toasted in butter, might be the best part of all.

Storage

Keep the pimento cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. Give it a quick stir before serving to bring back that smooth, creamy texture. I would skip the freezer, though, since the cream cheese and mayo turn grainy once they thaw.

This one is great to make ahead, so I often make homemade pimento cheese a full day early, and the flavor only deepens overnight. If it sets too stiff in the cold, leave it out for a few minutes, and it loosens back into a soft, creamy pimento cheese spread. 

Recipe