Easy Homemade Pimento Cheese

This addicting and easy homemade pimento cheese recipe is made with extra sharp cheddar cheese, roasted red peppers, and mayonnaise.  Add a pinch of ground cayenne pepper if you like a little spice.

this …

It took me 10 years of living in the South before I liked pimento cheese.  Then, I became obsessed with this easy homemade pimento cheese recipe.  Obsessed - like dreaming about it - craving it, making it and eating nothing else.  

My friend Kim gave me a homemade jar of pimento cheese as a holiday gift one year.

Her version had grated onions, just a bit. I absolutely love her pimento cheese recipe. Don't skip the onions, but err on the side of less onions as the juice can be potent. Slowly add to taste.

What to Serve With Homemade Pimento Cheese?

Put homemade pimento cheese on:

• crackers
• bread, toast, sandwiches
• vegetables
• mashed potatoes
• steaks , meat, pork chops, chicken
• eat it by the spoonful if necessity calls - it's that good.

How Long Does Homemade Pimento Cheese Stay Good?

Pimento cheese stays good in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

Don't double dip! If you double dip, it will go bad sooner 🙂

Substitutions In Pimento Cheese

Some people put cream cheese in their pimento cheese. If you like cream cheese go for it but I LOVE the mayonnaise version. The cream cheese is chunkier and a little more powerful, in my opinion.

Don't want to grate fresh onion for this pimento cheese recipe? Make it even easier and skip the onion all together or try a pinch of onion powder.

Add a little fresh jalapeno to pimento cheese for texture and if you like it spicy.

Like garlic? Add a touch of fresh garlic or use garlic powder.

Pimento is the Spanish word for a smaller cherry pepper. Buy whole roasted red peppers in the can and chop yourself - they are not as mushy as the pre-chopped. Pre-chopped roasted red peppers works too though 🙂

How To Roast Red Peppers For Pimento Cheese

This easy pimento cheese recipe is written using canned pimento peppers for ease. Having said that, you can also roast red peppers.

Red peppers are great substitutes for smaller red pimento peppers. Wanna roast your own red pepper?  The picture above shows how charred it should look with a little skin peeled away to reveal the vibrant red color underneath the char.  You can do this on the grill or over an open flame gas stove top.

Lay the red pepper directly on the grate above the stove burner and rotate as the skin turns black. You want charred black skin covering the pepper (the red pepper also becomes softer). Cook over open flame for about 6-8 minutes (turning as it becomes charred) to get the red pepper completely charred.

Place it in a paper bag for 20 minutes to continue cooking so it gets softer. Run under cool water and take the skin off. Seed and chop.

Print