Whether you spell it “pimiento” or “pimento”, this classic cheese spread is a cornerstone of southern cooking. Since southern food has seen a recent revival and culinary celebration in the past decade, I feel like I see pimiento cheese on every menu in some form! It’s rightfully earned that place because of the versatility of the dish. You can put it on a burger, fry it in balls and serve it with a sauce, you can make a grilled cheese out of, use it in grits, or just serve it with crackers! The options are endless.
Everyone has their own version of pimiento cheese, but what most southern cooks can tell you is – most of the store bought pimiento cheese brands are not worth eating. There’s something about freshly shredding your own cheese that makes home-made pimiento cheese better than anything you can purchase factory made.
My personal recipe has evolved a lot over the years, but this version is what I most commonly put in mine – the basics with the addition of chopped jalapeno and a bit of prepared horseradish. Both of these ingredients pack a punch that goes so well with the creaminess of the cheese. I also use cream cheese in mine. This is to achieve a desired consistency and tang. As long as you use cheddar in some form, you can get crazy with additional cheeses all you want. I’ve seen people add goat cheese, smoked gouda, white cheddar, whatever you can think of!
Whatever you choose to put in your pimiento cheese, I have one rule that I live by – you MUST use Duke’s Mayo. My dad would disagree with me on this, but Duke’s is the only acceptable mayo to use in my opinion! Because it’s more vinegar heavy than other mayos, it always adds a little something to each dish that makes it the better choice. But that’s just my 2 cents 😉
There isn’t much of an explanation needed on how to make pimiento cheese, because you basically just stir all the ingredients together. But I do always shred my cheese first then add all the other ingredients on top of that so I’m not wasting any more clean bowls. As far as the jalapeno, I usually leave in about half the seeds. As the rules go, leave in all the seeds for more spice and no seeds for no spice!
Once you mix it up, you’ll be ready to go! I hope you like my version of pimiento cheese. It keeps well in the fridge so you can make it in advance. Although it probably won’t last long once you taste it! 😉
Jalapeno Horseradish Pimiento Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz sharp cheddar block
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 4 oz jar pimientos
- 1 large jalapeno
- 1/2 cup Duke's Mayo
- 1 tsp prepared creamy horseradish
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Shred the cheddar cheese in a medium bowl. Finely chop jalapeno and leave in no seeds or all of them, depending on how spicy you'd like it.
- Slightly drain excess water off pimentos. Combine all ingredients in the bowl and mix to combine. Adjust for taste if necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
