Spare Spoons Kitchen
Pimento
Cheese
The real thing: sharp cheddar grated from a block, cream cheese, Duke's mayo, and diced pimentos — seasoned with garlic, cayenne, and Dijon. Slap it on white bread, spread it on crackers, stuff it in celery. Makes a big batch that keeps a week in the fridge.
Ingredients
Easier, if you like
- Palmetto Cheese brand pimento cheese (refrigerated deli section, near the specialty cheeses and dips) is the best grocery-store version if you'd rather skip making it. Comes in original, jalapeño, and bacon varieties.
Method
Cook's notes
Gets better on day two. The flavors deepen after a night in the fridge. Make it the day before if you can.
Keeps 1 week refrigerated in a covered container.
Serve on: white sandwich bread, Ritz crackers, celery sticks, sliced cucumbers, or toast points. Classic is white bread cut into triangles.
The sweet pickle question. Some purists add minced sweet pickles or relish; others are horrified by this. Try it both ways and pick your side.
A tiny pinch of sugar is traditional in some Southern versions — try ¼ tsp if it tastes too sharp.
Vegetarian and gluten-free as written
Dairy-free: Hard to replicate authentically, but vegan cream cheese (Violife or Kite Hill) + vegan cheddar shreds (Violife or Follow Your Heart) + vegan mayo (Hellmann's Vegan) is workable. The texture won't be identical.
Lighter: Substitute ¼ of the mayo with plain full-fat Greek yogurt. It cuts some richness without tasting diet-ish.
Extra heat: Swap the cayenne for a finely minced fresh jalapeño, or use jalapeño pimentos (sold alongside the regular ones in the canned goods aisle).