Ingredients
Cheese
- 400 gextra sharp cheddar, in a block
Peppers
- 200 gjarred pimientos, drained and chopped
Binder
- 150 gmayonnaise
- 60 gcream cheese, softened, optional
Seasoning
- 1 tspWorcestershire sauce
- ½ tsponion powder
- ½ tspgarlic powder
- a few dashes hot sauce
- 1 tspcracked black pepper
- a pinch of cayenne
To serve
- white sandwich bread
- crackers
- celery sticks
- or on a burger
Directions
- Grate the cheese yourself from a block, and this is the one instruction that matters most. Pre-grated cheese is coated in cellulose or potato starch to stop it clumping in the bag, and that coating makes pimento cheese dry and gritty.
- Use extra sharp cheddar, and a genuinely sharp one. Mild cheddar disappears entirely under the mayonnaise, and the spread should taste clearly of cheese. Grate about two-thirds coarsely and one-third finely. Drain the pimientos thoroughly and pat them dry, then chop them.
- Drain them properly, because the liquid in the jar makes the whole thing loose and pink. Keep about a tablespoon of the pimiento liquid to add back if it needs loosening.
- Beat the softened cream cheese with the mayonnaise until smooth. The cream cheese is not traditional in every version but it stops the spread splitting and gives it body.
- Add the Worcestershire, onion powder, garlic powder, hot sauce, black pepper and cayenne. Fold it by hand and never in a food processor. A machine turns it into a smooth paste, and pimento cheese should be rough and shaggy with visible strands of cheese.
- Mix only until it comes together and stop. It should look coarse and slightly untidy, not creamy and uniform. Taste it and adjust the seasoning, remembering that cheddar is already salty. Now chill it for at least 2 hours, and overnight is better. Take it out 20 minutes before serving so it spreads properly.
- Serve it on soft white bread with the crusts cut off, which is the classic Southern sandwich, or with crackers and celery. It is spread thickly rather than scraped, and the sandwich version is deliberately made on plain soft bread.
Technique
- Roasting your own red peppers in place of jarred pimientos makes a noticeably better version.
- It keeps a week in the fridge and firms up as it sits.
- A grilled pimento cheese sandwich, fried in butter, is a very good use for it.
Substitutions
- Roasted and peeled red peppers in place of jarred pimientos.
- Any sharp cheddar, or a mix with smoked cheese.
Variations
- With bacon or jalapeño folded through.
- Made with a mix of cheddar and cream cheese for a softer spread.
- Used as a burger topping or a filling for deviled eggs.
History
Grew from northern cream cheese mixed with imported Spanish pimientos around 1900; Georgia pimiento farming moved it south, where it became Southern canapé food.
Frequently asked questions
What is Pimento cheese?
Pimento cheese is a snack from United States: sharp cheddar spread with mayonnaise and red pimientos, on crackers or sandwiches. Grew from northern cream cheese mixed with imported Spanish pimientos around 1900; Georgia pimiento farming moved it south, where it became Southern canapé food.
How long does Pimento cheese take to make?
Pimento cheese takes 15 min plus 2 hr chilling of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes about 600 g. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Pimento cheese?
Yes, within limits. Roasted and peeled red peppers in place of jarred pimientos. Any sharp cheddar, or a mix with smoked cheese.
What is the most important thing to get right in Pimento cheese?
Drain them properly, because the liquid in the jar makes the whole thing loose and pink. Keep about a tablespoon of the pimiento liquid to add back if it needs loosening.
