This pimento cheese spread is so tasty: peppery and tangy, and made with only 5 ingredients! Made with a mayonnaise base, this pimento cheese spread is great for dipping crackers in, or as a sandwich spread (our favorite thing to do with it – we also love using it as a secret burger sauce, like this remoulade).

I was reading the Cheers to the Publican Cookbook and there were all these ingredients I’d never cooked with before. I was talking out loud, and Nick was sitting next to me randomly ordering things on Amazon.

Well, turns out Nick bought an entire FLAT of pimento peppers. <- let me emphasize that this link is for 12 small jars, like you see in the above photo. But the thing is, after cooking and making recipes with these lovely pimento peppers, I’m not mad about it, and would even buy them in 12-count again!

What do you make with pimento peppers? Well, pimento cheese is on the top of my list so I set out to make this spread!

Shredded cheese, cheese grater, pimento peppers and cream cheese

What ingredients do you need to make pimento cheese spread?

Sliced pimentos – the ingredient that started it all! Pimentos are sweet and mild – a great pairing with cheese.
Mayonnaise – you could also use a mixture of cream cheese and mayonnaise. This is dependent upon how thick you’d like the spread to be.
Sharp cheddar – I found a black peppercorn cheddar at the store which was a really nice flavor addition.
Freshly ground pepper – If you don’t have a cheddar with black peppercorns in it, then add 2 teaspoons of freshly cracked black pepper.
Cayenne pepper – this adds just the perfect touch of heat to help cut through the creaminess.

You can make this recipe in a couple of different ways – as a dip or spread or as more of a cheeseball (a thicker cheese dip). If you make the recipe with mayonnaise, it’s more of a spread. If you make this recipe with cream cheese, it’s a thicker cheeseball type consistency.

Pimento cheese dip in a glass bowl with wooden spoon

I prefer this mayonnaise based pimento cheese spread. This makes it easier to spread on sandwiches, which is my favorite thing to do with it.

This pimento cheese spread is peppery, but not overpoweringly so, has a wonderful tangy flavor from the sharp cheddar. It is also a great dip for raw vegetables, seed crackers and, as I mentioned, is really good as a sandwich spread. Plus, this recipe makes enough to store in jars in your refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Three glass jars of pimento cheese spread

5 Ingredient Pimento Cheese Spread

This pimento cheese spread is so tasty: peppery and tangy, and made with only 5 ingredients

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Ingredients

2 jars sliced pimentos drained, (4oz. each)
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise or a mixture of mayonnaise and cream cheese*
8 oz. sharp cheddar shredded**
2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.
Put into jars or container(s).
Refrigerate for an hour (or up to 2 weeks).
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

*use 8oz of cream cheese and 4 oz of mayonnaise if using cream cheese

** use peppercorn cheddar or any kind of sharp cheddar and add 2 tsp. cracked peppercorns

The nutrition information presented on this site should be considered an estimate as the calculations will change based on the exact products you use in your own kitchen.

Your comments and feedback are helpful and appreciated!! If you’ve tried this recipe or any other recipe on SweetPhi.com, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below! If you took some photos, we'd love to see them - you can share on Instagram or email them to phi@sweetphi.com and we'll add it to our reader recreations!

Your comments and feedback are helpful and appreciated!! If you’ve tried this recipe or any other recipe on SweetPhi.com, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below! If you took some photos, we’d love to see them – you can share on Instagram or email them to phi@sweetphi.com and we’ll add it to our reader recreations!