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Created by Chef Remy
Hand-grated sharp cheddar folded with Duke's mayonnaise, sweet jarred pimentos, and just enough cayenne to wake things up, this is the spread that built a thousand church potlucks and tailgate traditions across the South.
There's a reason Southerners call this the caviar of the South. Not because it's fancy. Because it's irreplaceable. You can serve foie gras at a party and people will nod politely. Put out a bowl of good pimento cheese with some Ritz crackers and watch grown adults elbow each other out of the way.
The secret lives in the cheese itself. You grate it by hand. I know the bag of pre-shredded looks tempting sitting there in the dairy case, but those manufacturers coat every strand with cellulose and potato starch to keep it from clumping. That coating creates a grainy, dry spread that never comes together right. Hand-grated cheese melts into the mayonnaise, becomes one with it. That's the texture you're chasing.
Now, I've eaten pimento cheese from Virginia to Texas, and everybody's grandmother made the best version. Mine included. My grandmother Evangeline would add a splash of pickle juice from her bread and butter jar. Said it brightened everything up. She wasn't wrong. At Lagniappe, we serve ours with house-made crackers and a drizzle of pepper jelly, but the spread itself stays traditional. Some things don't need improving.
Quantity
8 ounces
hand-grated
Quantity
4 ounces
hand-grated
Quantity
4 ounces
softened to room temperature
Quantity
1/2 cup
Quantity
1 jar (4 ounces)
drained, liquid reserved
Quantity
1 tablespoon
reserved from jar
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon, plus more to taste
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
Quantity
1 tablespoon
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| sharp cheddar cheesehand-grated | 8 ounces |
| extra-sharp cheddar cheesehand-grated | 4 ounces |
| cream cheesesoftened to room temperature | 4 ounces |
| Duke's mayonnaise | 1/2 cup |
| diced pimentosdrained, liquid reserved | 1 jar (4 ounces) |
| pimento jar liquidreserved from jar | 1 tablespoon |
| garlic powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
| cayenne pepper | 1/4 teaspoon, plus more to taste |
| Worcestershire sauce | 1/2 teaspoon |
| black pepperfreshly ground | 1/4 teaspoon |
| kosher salt | 1/4 teaspoon |
| bread and butter pickle juice (optional) | 1 tablespoon |
Using the large holes of a box grater, grate both cheddars into a large mixing bowl. This takes about ten minutes of honest work. The texture should be fluffy and loose, not packed or compressed. Hand-grating creates irregular strands that bind with the mayonnaise properly, giving you that creamy spread texture instead of a chunky mess.
Add the softened cream cheese to the grated cheddar. Using a sturdy fork or wooden spoon, work the cream cheese through the shreds until roughly incorporated. Don't worry about perfection here. You want some cream cheese distributed throughout, not a homogenous paste.
Add the Duke's mayonnaise, garlic powder, cayenne, Worcestershire, black pepper, and salt. Fold everything together with broad strokes, scraping the bottom of the bowl to incorporate. The mixture will look shaggy at first. Keep folding. After about two minutes of steady work, it should come together into a cohesive spread with visible cheese strands throughout.
Fold in the drained pimentos and the reserved tablespoon of pimento liquid. The liquid adds sweetness and color, keeping the spread from becoming too thick. Distribute the pimentos evenly so every bite gets that signature pop of sweet red pepper.
Here's where you make it yours. Taste the spread on a cracker or your finger. Does it need more salt? More heat? This is the time. Add the pickle juice if you want that bright, tangy note my grandmother loved. More cayenne if you like things spirited. The spread should taste bold and well-seasoned, never bland.
Transfer to a serving bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface, and refrigerate for at least one hour. Overnight is better. The cheese needs time to absorb the seasonings, and the texture improves as everything settles together. Bring to cool room temperature about fifteen minutes before serving for the best spreadable consistency.
1 serving (about 28g)
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