This classic Pimento Cheese Dip is the perfect consistency. It has just the right amount of spice, and a secret ingredient that adds a little zing! Super easy appetizer or side dish for summer BBQs. Originally published June 2, 1015.
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Last week I said goodbye to most of my pants and hello to a compartmentalized underwear drawer. What do YOU do when your best friend comes to stay for a few days? Buy clothes? We throw ours away.
Sarah has been reading the magic Japanese tidying book (have you heard of it?) I haven’t read it yet, but she told me about it, and that’s pretty much the same thing.
Sarah was my roommate in college, and if you have ever seen Francis Ha, then you know a little bit about us. I don’t bother writing about her much (except when she sews us Bono and Poe pillows) because it never does her justice. Someday I will write our memoirs. Or probably she will. (Sarah’s the responsible one. She used to do my laundry in college when my hamper would start overflowing onto her side of the room.)
Sarah is pregnant with her fourth, and she got to leave almost all her children behind to come stay with me. Which was awesome, because I’m really great at ignoring my kids, leaving more time for the serious task of underwear compartmentalization. Sarah hopped on the ignore train too, because my children are capable of being ignored without causing bodily harm. Sarah’s kids, on the other hand…are not.
She told me about one time when she had some friends over for dinner on a night her husband was working late. She was chatting with them in the kitchen when she realized that she hadn’t seen her children for at least 8 minutes. When she found them, there was paint covering the carpet, her 4-year-old was dancing gleefully in the mess, and her 2-year-old was squeezing paint directly on the head of her 9-month old baby.
When it was all over, her 4-year-old said matter-of-factly, “Well Mom, I guess you’ve learned your lesson not to put the paint where I can reach it.”
If I ever complain about my children again, please feel free to send me hate mail.
Pimento cheese, yes please
Guys, have you ever had pimento cheese dip? It is a Southern staple, and now it is a staple at my house. I honestly don’t know what took me so long to get on the pimento cheese train! There is just something about that creamy, cheesy, tangy combination that is completely irresistible.
Once I started making it, I realized how easy it is to throw together, and now I find myself looking for excuses to make it. Last time I made it, Eric and I could not stop sneaking this dip from the fridge. It keeps very well, so you can make this in advance. Make sure you have lots of sturdy, crispy crackers on hand so you can get right into this cheesy, glorious dip!
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“Omg my sister made this, and in the span of 30 minutes I finished off her whole Tupperware-full, and the box of crackers with it. SO good!” – Nathan
Key ingredients (+ a secret ingredient that will surprise you!)
- You´ll need a jar of pimentos. But what are pimentos, you ask? Pimentos are sweet, mild red peppers that are usually sold jarred and packed in water or brine. They have a softer, sweeter flavor than a typical red bell pepper without being overwhelming.
- Go with sharp cheddar cheese on this and buy it in the block. Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. Shredded cheese is coated with flour-y stuff so that it doesn’t stick together, which means it won’t stick together as well in your dip.
- So I promised a secret ingredient in this dip, and here it is: dijon mustard. My favorite Easy Cheddar Cauliflower Soup calls for dijon, and since this dip is mostly cheddar cheese, I thought, hey why not. I LOVE it. I really felt like the traditional dip ingredients were missing some flavor element, and the dijon fixed that right up. I mean, it makes perfect sense: mayonnaise and mustard go together like cheese and crackers. (Can I get an amen?)
How to make pimento cheese dip
First, finely shred your cheese. And I really do mean finely here. Put away that big grater! You want those little shreds to blend into the dip and give you that super creamy texture.
Add everything to a large bowl, leaving the crackers out for now, and give it a good stir. Taste it and adjust the cayenne and Dijon to your liking. Want a little more heat? Go for it!
How to store leftover pimento cheese
Keep your leftover pimento cheese dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Give it a good stir before serving, especially if it has been sitting for a day or two.
Can I freeze leftovers?
I don’t recommend freezing pimento cheese dip. The dairy can separate and become grainy once thawed, which means you’ll lose that lovely creamy texture. Luckily, it comes together so quickly that it’s much better to make a fresh batch when you’re craving it!
More cheese dip recipes
Meat & Seafood Recipes
Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip
Meat & Seafood Recipes
Ham and Cheese Dip
Appetizers, Dips & Snacks
Bacon Blue Cheese Dip
Appetizers, Dips & Snacks
Copycat Chili’s Queso Dip (Slow Cooker)
Pimiento Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 1 pound cheddar cheese, block sharp*
- 1 & 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 4 ounces pimientos, chopped and drained
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 box Almond Blue Diamond Nut-Thins
Instructions
- Finely shred the cheese. I mean it here, don’t use the big grater.
- Combine all ingredients (except the crackers) in a big bowl. Adjust cayenne and dijon to taste.
- Serve room temperature or chilled with the perfectly dip-able Almond Blue Diamond Nut-Thins.
Oh my gosh, that’s too funny! My 1.5 year old is a LOT of trouble, too, he is mainly focused on emptying the contents of my freezer. But no paint yet! Love the looks of this dip! Looks so cheesy and flavorful!
Omg my sister made this and in the span of 30 minutes I finished off her whole Tupperware-full, and the box of nut thins with it. SO good!
Ohhh the stories you guys could probably tell! I am so good at ignoring my kids I sometimes have to remind myself to go check on them, you know just to make sure they haven’t tied anyone up to torture them :) This cheese dip looks sooo good, I don’t think I would have much resistance from eating the whole bowl!
There are no words for that 4-year old. I did snicker a little. I have so many free pairs of VS undies it ain’t even funny! I could use a lesson or two in panty compartmentalization. Love this dip! Have fun with your bestie.
I’ll take this with a spoon, please!
Dear Sarah, I’m the less organized, less responsible Sarah in Karen’s life and I’d love for you to come visit. WINKWINK. Love, Sarah
Karen, you can come too if you bring this dip and promise to organize my underwear.
Oh, I love this stuff! Your version looks pretty darn amazing. Your story cracked me up. I’ve actually had paint on my carpet…red paint. And, you know what? Red paint doesn’t come out of carpet :)
How could I resist a cheesy pimiento dip? It looks incredible! Pinned!
Well this looks totally heavenly and I think you should introduce Sarah to your crazy blogger friends cause now I want to meet her :) Pimiento cheese is a staple in our house. Love it homemade and I’m loving your version ever more. Those Nut Thins looks like the perfect way to just dig into this awesomeness!
Trish, Sarah literally just texted me the link to your skinny orange muffins this morning telling me how much she loved them! You guys are on track :)
Ooooh! This looks delicious.
Pimento is sooo addictive and this creamy dip looks like it would complement the crunchy salty Nut Thins perfectly!!
Good thing I didn’t have this dip around when the paint incident happened, because I probably would have been tempted to go on ignoring the disaster while I stuffed my face with mayonnaise…I mean cheese dip. Right. Yes. This is just one of the many reasons that Southern food wins.
Amen sister. Those Southerners know where it’s AT. Mayonnaise dude. Staff of life.
Who needs to buy clothes when you can purge them and have super organized drawers. That’s much better! Glad you had a fun visit with your friend! This cheese dip is a-ma-zing Karen!
Oh my gosh! I haven’t had pimiento cheese in forever!!! Love this dip idea.
Oh yum! I’ve tried other Pimento Cheese recipes and must say I wasn’t impressed, they were pretty one dimentional. Love the addition of dijon mustard & cayenne pepper – yum!