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I've curated this list of What To Do With Pimento Cheese in conjunction with my Halloween Episode and Old Fashioned Pimento Cheese (Without Cream Cheese) from my podcast guest, Brenda Wyatt.
Pimento cheese is a classic Southern spread and can be found at any party during any time of the year. Personally, I learned about it from my podcast guest, Brenda Wyatt, when she shared her Old-Fashioned Southern Pimento Cheese Without Cream Cheese.
Instead of simply enjoying it as a delicious dip, I wanted to provide a list showcasing how pimento cheese can be used in every course and not just as an appetizer. This creamy cheese spread can be used in anything ranging from casseroles to cornbread and many other Southern dishes.
There is no right or wrong time to make this classic Southern recipe; a dinner party, casual get-together, or Kentucky derby party, so here is some inspiration for how to create this dish in a new and interesting way.
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How to Use This List
- Make sure to check out the FAQ at the bottom of the post!
- I have organized this list based on pimento cheese dishes used in different meal courses: Appetizers, Breakfast, Main Course, Breads, and Sides.
Appetizers
Of course, you can put out pimento cheese spread with veggies, such as red bell peppers, celery sticks, baby carrots, ritz crackers, water crackers, toast points, and other popular choices for dipping foods into dip into the pimento cheese, but this list is more than dip recipes and will hopefully inspire you to try fun ways to use pimento cheese as an appetizer.
The following list includes some of the best dips, cheese balls, pinwheels, and other appetizer ideas out there.
Pimento Cheese Jalapeno Poppers
My delicious pimento cheese jalapeno poppers recipe with sliced jalapenos stuffed with homemade pimento cheese, wrapped in bacon and grilled to perfection. Beware, they are addictive!
Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs
Cooks in 90 minutesThese pimento cheese deviled eggs are made with a rich pimento cheese filling, topped with sliced scallions, pimentos and crushed potato chips for extra crunch and flavor!
Fried Pimento Cheese Balls with Ranch Dipping Sauce
Fried Pimento Cheese Balls- Hot, gooey fried cheese balls with a crispy coating, studded with bacon and dipped in a creamy buttermilk ranch dressing.
Pimento Cheese Stuffed Grits Arancini
Cooks in 75 minutesThese pimento cheese stuffed grits arancini are full of flavor and contrasting textures. This is the perfect fancy southern appetizer for your next holiday cocktail party!
Baked Pimento Cheese Dip
Cooks in 40 minutesA creamy, warm dip that's full of cheese and has a little spice. Serve with vegetable sticks, tortilla chips, or pita chips for a delicious party treat.
Ham and Green Chili Pimento Cheese Sliders
Cooks in 40 minutesOoey, gooey baked ham and green chili pimento cheese sliders are the perfect combo of sweet and spicy!
Pimento Cheese Pinwheels
Cooks in 250 minutesMade with homemade pimento cheese, these pimento cheese pinwheels are an easy and delicious appetizer to serve at your next party or get-together.
Pimento Cheese Pepper Jelly Phyllo Cups + A Baby Shower
Cooks in 15 minutesA delicious bite-sized appetizer of phyllo cups filled with pimento cheese and topped with pepper jelly!
Fried Green Tomatoes With Pimento Cheese
This recipe is layered fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese, pork belly bacon, and tomato jam. These are the best fried green tomatoes ever!
Pimento Cheese Sausage Balls
Cooks in 35 minutesThese pimento cheese sausage balls are made with only 3 ingredients (+ optional seasoning). A delicious simple recipe that makes the perfect appetizer!
Breakfast
These recipes are great ways to enjoy pimento cheese for breakfast, surpassing any store-bought options you could find.
Pimento Cheese Breakfast Casserole
This Pimento Cheese Breakfast Casserole is a hearty, zesty breakfast casserole that will fill your guests bellies and bring a smile to their faces.
Bacon & Pimento Cheese Quiche
Cooks in 70 minutesBacon & Pimento CheeseQuiche - so delicious! Can make ahead and refrigerate or freeze for later. Pimento cheese, bacon, sour cream, eggs, milk, and pie crust. Everyone LOVED this delicious quiche!! I always double the recipe because this doesn't last long. SO good!
Main Course
Instead of a regular grilled cheese sandwich that only has slices of white bread and cheese, try replacing the cheese with pimento cheese or go the extra mile and add bacon to your grilled cheese for a fun take on the classic sandwich. If you want to spice it up a little bit, try adding a little hot sauce, cayenne pepper, or some slices of jalapeno pepper to add a little bit of a kick.
Grilled Pimento Cheese Sandwich
What happens when you combine a grilled cheese and a pimento cheese sandwich? Maybe one of the best lunches around! This grilled pimento cheese sandwich is savory, melty, crispy, and so perfect.
Pimento & Bacon Grilled Cheese
Cooks in 10 minutesFlippin' Pat knows that most of you are in full on pumpkin mode but is here to remind you that this recipe is perfect for cool Fall days! Using Trader Joe's Pimento cheese dip and bacon, this sandwich makes for the best quick lunch or dinner. You can even pair with your favorite fall soup! Flippin' Pat hopes you give this recipe a try and enjoy!
Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich Recipe + Video
Cooks in 75 minutesThis Chick Fil A copycat chicken sandwich recipe features a crispy fried chicken breast and spicy jalapenos piled onto a soft burger bun, drizzled with honey, and topped with a scoop of pimento cheese.
Pimento Cheese Chicken Quesadillas with Jalapeos
Cooks in 30 minutesVegan Pimento Cheese Spread Sandwiches
Cooks in 25 minutesThese satisfying sandwiches are spread with a dairy-free pimento cheese spread made from healthy, whole foods ingredients - and are ready in under 30 minutes! Reprinted with permission from The China Study Family Cookbook.
Tomato Pie With Pimento Cheese Topping
Cooks in 2 hours 30 minutesTomato pie is just the kind of supper a Southern cook might serve in the summer: savory and rich, but vibrant with super-fresh vegetables and herbs. Virginia Willis, a Georgia native and food writer, had the inspired idea to add a topping of pimento cheese, another Southern classic. There are multiple steps here because of the scratch-made crust, but everything can be baked in the cooler parts of the day, and the pie can be served warm or at room temperature.
Pimento Cheese Burgers
Cooks in 20 minutesThese flavorful burgers are topped with a smokey pimento cheese spread. Either grilled or cooked on the stovetop, these burgers are sure to be a hit.
Pimento Cheese Chicken Salad
A southern classic, lightened up a bit with Greek yogurt. I added some chicken too for a well rounded meal!
Breads
Any good Southern cuisine is not complete without biscuits or cornbread which are both an iconic taste of the South. Combining two samples of Southern food means that there are great things about to hit your taste buds.
Pimento Cheese Biscuits
Cooks in 30 minutesPimento Cheese Biscuits are so good! If you love pimento cheese adds to these to your recipe list.
Sides
A homemade pimento cheese recipe is a Southern staple, also known as the caviar of the South or Southern pâté. You can use pimento cheese in your side dishes in so many new and different ways ranging from grits to pasta salad.
Pimento Cheese Pasta Salad
Cooks in 42 minutesThis pimento cheese pasta salad is the perfect summer side dish! All the flavor of pimento cheese and all the comforts of pasta salad, in one bowl!
PIMENTO CHEESE CORN
Cooks in 11 minutesFor a taste of The South, enjoy this Pimento Cheese Corn as a side dish, or dip. It's super easy to prepare. Your entire Family will ENJOY!
Easy Pimento Cheese Grits
Cooks in 20 minutesMade with quick-cooking grits and rich, gooey pimento cheese, Southern Pimento Cheese Grits are as easy as they are delicious. Whether serving them up for a holiday gathering or a laid-back weekend meal, these creamy grits bring the perfect touch of Southern comfort to your table.
Creamed Spinach Casserole
Cooks in 35 minutesDecadent, creamy, and easy to make! This creamed spinach casserole is a holiday favorite. It's made with fresh spinach for the best taste and flavor, but you could sub in frozen spinach, if preferred.
Pimento Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Cooks in 55 minutesGive some zip to your mashed potatoes by adding some pimento cheese. You'll be glad you did!
How to Make Old Fashioned Pimento Cheese (Without Cream Cheese)
This recipe for Old Fashioned Pimento Cheese (without Cream Cheese) came from my podcast guest, Brenda Wyatt. Make sure you listen to her Halloween episode while you make this Southern Pimento Cheese recipe!
FAQ:
Pre-Shredded Cheese in Pimento Cheese Dip?
Extra-sharp cheddar cheese is the key ingredient in this Southern comfort food, so try not to use pre-shredded cheese so that you won't lose the creamy texture of the dip. So take a little extra time and shred some cheese in order to have the best pimento cheese dip that's out there!
Are Pimento Peppers Spicy?
It would be easy to understand why many people would be fooled into thinking that these little red peppers were spicy, however, they are sweet and mild, even milder than a red bell pepper!
Pimento Cheese Capital of the World
Charlotte, North Carolina is considered the Pimento Cheese of the World. I was shocked by this because I always thought that if any state in the US would be the pimento cheese capital it would be somewhere in the deep South (make sure to check out the recipe from Brenda to read more about the history of pimento cheese). However, the company Ruth's Salads is one of the biggest factories in the country when it comes to buying store-bought versions of pimento cheese. They supposedly make up to 45,000 pounds every week. So if you see this in the grocery stores you will know that it came from the pimento cheese capital of the world!
source: Charlotte Stories
Brenda's Memories of Pimento Cheese
Brenda befriended me on Instagram several months ago and offered to share her recipe for an apple-shaped cheese ball, which would be perfect for a harvest party. Now, a cheese ball wasn’t the most exciting recipe I could fathom, but I find Brenda so fun, knowledgeable, and entertaining, and I wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to talk with her. Sure enough, she had me laughing in 30 seconds, and I walked away from the interview with two additional recipes I just had to try!
27 Ideas: What to Do with Pimento Cheese
27 Ideas for what to do with pimento cheese! From appetizers, to breakfast, brunch, burger, breads, side and main dish ideas!
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Ingredients
Jalapeno Poppers with Pimento Cheese from Chili Pepper Madness
Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs from How Sweet Eats
Fried Pimento Cheese Balls from Spicy Southern Kitchen
Fried Pimento Cheese Ball with Pepper Jelly from Pastry Chef Online
Hot Pimento Cheese Dip from Spicy Southern Kitchen
Pimento Cheese Sliders from Sarcastic Cooking
Pimento Cheese Pinwheels from Stephie Cooks
Pimento Cheese Phyllo Cups from Peanut Butter Runner
Fried Green Tomatoes with Pimento Cheese from Food 52
Sausage Balls with Pimento Cheese from Pizzazzerie
Pimento Cheese Breakfast Casserole from Family Fresh Meals
Pimento Cheese Bacon Quiche from Plain Chicken
Grilled Pimento Cheese Sandwich from Stephie Cooks
Grilled Pimento Cheese and Bacon Sandwich from Pat Cooks
Hot Honey Pimento Cheese Sandwich from A Spicy Perspective
Pimento Cheese Quesadilla from How Sweet Eats
Vegan Pimento Cheese Sandwiches from Yup Its Vegan
Tomato Pie with Pimento Cheese from NY Times
Pimento Cheese Burger from Copy Kat
Pimento Cheese Chicken Salad from Salt And Rye
Pimento Cheese Biscuits from The Southern Lady Cooks
Pimento Cheese Cornbread from Southern Bite
Pimento Cheese Pasta Salad from How Sweet Eats
Pimento Cheese Corn from Charlotte Fashion Plate
Pimento Cheese Grits from A Southern Soul
Pimento Cheese Creamed Spinach from Buns In My Oven
Pimento Cheese Mashed Potatoes from Kudos Kitchen By Renee
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