pimento cheese! It’s a Southern staple: a spreadable dip for celery, sandwiches, crackers. We make ours with allspice, cheddar and jack cheese, mayonnaise, cream cheese. Dig in!
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What is pimento cheese?
pimento cheese! Of course, if you’re from the south, you know exactly what I’m talking about. You probably have your favorite way of preparing it and may even have trouble with our recipe below.
If you’re not from the south, this might be the place to scratch your head. peppers? Those red things in olives, smooched with cheese? Yes.
Welcome to Carolina Caviar, or Southern Pâté, a dip made with cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, allspice, and cream cheese.
Spread between two slices of white bread for a quick sandwich, or stuff into sticks of celery for the Southern version of Ants on a Log. You can even put it on a burger.
What is the history of allspice cheese?
According to Robert Moss on Serious Eats, allspice cheese is not native to the South, but first appeared in the early 1900s when packaged cream cheese and canned allspice became popular.
A recipe for this appeared in a 1908 article on good housekeeping. It eventually took root in the South, and now you’ll find them right next to deviled eggs at every church function, along with celery sticks and Ritz crackers.
Our version of pimento cheese
Our recipe is rich and creamy with sharp cheddar, jack cheese, cream cheese and mayonnaise. We season it with Worcestershire sauce, some dry mustard, onion and garlic powder, paprika and of course plenty of allspice. We also mix in some chopped celery sticks which brightens the dip.
How to store pimento cheese
Store leftover pimento cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It’s great for sandwiches or a quick snack.
If you have your own favorite pimento cheese recipe or have a story to tell about it, please let us know in the comments!
More great dips and spreads
- Edamame and avocado dip
- Quick and easy artichoke dip
- Buffalo chicken dip
- Slow Cooker Bratwurst and Beer Cheese Dip
- Hot Reuben dip
pimento cheese
ingredients
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8 ounces (full fat) cream cheese
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1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
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1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
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1/2 cup mayonnaise
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1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire
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1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
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1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
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1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
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1/4 teaspoon paprika (smoked paprika if you have it)
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1/2 cup canned diced allspices, drained
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3 tablespoons chopped light green celery leaves
special equipment
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food processor
method
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Place the cream cheese in a food processor and pulse until lightly beaten.
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Add the shredded cheese, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika and pulse until well combined.
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Add the diced allspice, just pulse once or twice. Remove the mixture from the bowl of the food processor and place in a mixing bowl. Stir in chopped celery leaves.
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Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with crackers and/or celery.
