Homemade Pimento Cheese Recipe: 15-Minute Cheese Dip

Pimento cheese (or pimiento cheese) is a mixture of cheese, mayonnaise, and diced pimento peppers. You can eat this mixture as a pimento cheese dip with veggies, crackers, or pretzels, or mix it into grits. Alternatively, you can spread it on two slices of bread to make pimento cheese grilled cheese sandwiches. Pimento cheese is a particularly popular condiment in the southern United States, especially in South Carolina, where a classic southern recipe contains only a few ingredients and seasonings.

Pimento peppers, also known as cherry peppers, are a common stuffing for green olives but can also be a stand-alone snack. The peppers are far less spicy than jalapeños and are sweeter and mild, similar to red bell peppers. The nutritional profile of pimento peppers includes carbohydrates and potassium; they contain negligible amounts of calcium, cholesterol, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Pimento cheese is naturally gluten-free.

Pimento cheese is a versatile mixture that you can use as a condiment, dip, or filling. Dishes that can benefit from pimento cheese include:

1. 1. Cheese balls: A classic appetizer, a cheese ball is simple to make at home. Use a firm, sharp cheddar cheese and just enough mayonnaise to hold everything together to create a moldable pimento cheese. Form it into a ball, roll it in toasted nuts, or leave it plain. Serve the cheese ball alongside crackers, celery sticks, pita chips, and other veggies or toasts.
2. 2. Deviled eggs: Instead of filling hollowed-out, hard-boiled egg whites with the usual filling of egg yolk, mayonnaise, mustard, and pickle relish, try using pimento cheese. Mix together shredded cheese, diced pimentos, mayonnaise, paprika, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce in a food processor until the ingredients are smooth. Then, spoon the filling into boiled eggs, and top them with chives or a light sprinkle of cayenne pepper for deviled eggs.
3. 3. Grilled cheese sandwiches: To make a grilled cheese sandwich with a pimento cheese spread, begin by melting butter in a pan on the stove over medium heat. Spread homemade pimento cheese between two thick slices of an artisan white bread. Toast each side of the sandwich in the butter, adding more as necessary, until the bread is golden brown and the pimento cheese has melted.
4. 4. Hamburgers: Try stuffing pimento cheese between two hamburger patties for an oozy, cheesy center. Alternatively, you can spoon pimento cheese on top of the hamburger after you flip it on the grill. The pimento cheese will melt as the other side of the burger cooks.