This easy old fashioned pimento cheese recipe was inspired by my favorite store-bought brand- Palmetto Pimento Cheese. It’s rich and creamy with the perfect balance of Mayonnaise and pimento! Also, it reminds me of one of our favorite places- Pawley’s Island, South Carolina (where it originated!). So, I just HAD to try to make my own. And to be honest, my husband thought it was better than Palmetto.
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Tools Needed to Make Homemade Souther Pimento Cheese:
Ingredients Needed to Make Pimento Cheese:
Shredded monterey jack
Shredded sharp cheddar
Softened cream cheese
Mayonnaise
White pepper
Garlic powder
Kosher salt
Chopped pimento
Trick to making Pimento Cheese from Scratch:
First, keep it SIMPLE! This is my philosophies with the majority of my recipes. Whenever I start to add too many ingredients, finding balance becomes harder. This is especially important when entertaining! Because the MORE ingredients you have, the more likely you are to serve something that is disliked by some guests. I don’t find this applies to things like soups, stews and sauces. But, it definitely does for pimento cheese!
Next, do NOT put the following ingredients in your pimento cheese: sweet pickle juice, sweet relish and sugar. Just leave out the sweet! It baffles me that one pimento cheese can taste savory and rich while one tastes spicy and hot and another tastes sweet. Of course this is personal preference, but that’s my trick to making pimento cheese from scratch!
Homemade Southern Pimento Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups of shredded monterey jack
- 4 cups of shredded sharp cheddar
- 1 bar of softened cream cheese
- 1 cup of mayonnaise
- 1/4 tsp of white pepper
- 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
- 1 tsp of kosher salt
- 4 oz of chopped pimento
Instructions
- Combine softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, pimentos and shredded cheese in a large mixing bowl.
- Top with garlic powder, pepper and salt.
- Mix evenly with hand mixer or standing mixer.
- Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours before serving for best results.
What to Serve with Pimento Cheese
Undoubtedly, chili is the NUMBER 1 thing to serve alongside pimento cheese! And this recipe is no exception! I even enjoy dipping my pimento cheese sandwich in my chili. Also, it’s great as a vegetarian sandwich option. I served pimento cheese alongside chicken salad at my son’s Peter Rabbit-themed first birthday party. I put it on sandwiches and formed the remainder into the shape of a carrot with green onions coming out of the top. It was a hit! Additionally, if you are keto or low carb, you can eat it on top of a bed of lettuce or it pairs really well with cut up red and green peppers!
Quick and Easy Pimento Cheese
This is something I make when I don’t have a lot of time on my hands because I’m busy during the day or because I’m making it for some event and have multiple dishes on the menu. And when I have multiple things to make, I always use my hand mixer for this recipe because it’s efficient, lightweight and easy to clean. Futhermore, it’s versatile and has interchangeable parts for mixing, dough and immersion. I cannot recommend it enough as a much needed staple in the kitchen.
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Savor the Moment,
Natalie from Deerwood + Jones
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KitchenAid KHM512IC 5-Speed Ultra Power Hand Mixer, Ice Blue
Cuisinart CTG-00-SMB Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls with Lids, Set of 3
Hudson Essentials Stainless Steel Measuring Cups Set – 6 Piece Stackable Set with Spout