Ingredients
1/2 c. (4 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 c. mayonnaise
2 tsp. vinegar-based hot sauce, such as Frank’s
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. mustard powder
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
8 oz. jarred pimento peppers, drained and chopped
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 c. finely sliced chives, plus more for serving
Preparation
Step 1In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, hot sauce, salt, garlic powder, mustard powder, and pepper until smooth. Fold in peppers, cheese, and chives.Step 2Cover and chill at least 1 hour or up to overnight. Top with more chives before serving.
It only takes a few minutes to whip up a batch of pimento cheese, and it’s super-easy to do. Our top tip? Make sure your cream cheese is truly room temperature: If it’s too cold, it won’t incorporate smoothly with the mayo and seasonings, and you’ll end up with hard little lumps of cream cheese in your dip. Read on for more tips on this easy cheesy dip. Looking for more? Check out this pub beer cheese. What’s in pimento cheese? In its most basic form, pimento cheese is a blend of cream cheese, mayo, shredded cheddar cheese, and diced pimento peppers. Beyond that, specific seasonings can vary widely and largely depend on personal preference. Do you serve it hot or cold? Pimento cheese is traditionally served cold. That said, it’s absolutely delicious warm, and many modern Southern restaurants even serve it in little cast-iron skillets, à la queso. Our advice? Eat it the way you want to. What do you serve with pimento cheese? Like most party dips, pimento cheese tastes great with just about anything you can spread it on. We love serving it with toasted baguette, tortilla chips, crackers, and raw veggies. Warm, it also makes a fabulously decadent cheese sauce, perfectly for topping a burger or cheesesteak. And no doubt it makes for a fantastic grilled cheese. Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
