By Christie Vanover | Published August 18, 2010 | Last Updated December 28, 2022
As we’ve been moving from Europe to the U.S., I haven’t done much cooking. We’ve enjoyed eating out at some of our favorite restaurants instead. But when I visited some family and opened their fridge to find a neon orange tub of store bought pimento cheese, I had to make a trip to the grocery.
I didn’t grow up with pimento cheese. I was first introduced to it when we were stationed in Mississippi. There was a great little restaurant there called Newks Café. They made a toasted pimento cheese and tomato sandwich on French bread that was amazing. I used to buy just the pimento cheese and make the sandwiches at home, until I mastered my version of the recipe.
So when I saw that neon orange pimento cheese in the fridge, I realized it was time to get back to the grocery and back in the kitchen. I like to make this about once a month. It makes a pretty big batch and you can get a few snacks out of it.
Pimento Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz. bag shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 oz. block pepper jack cheese shredded
- 8 oz. block cream cheese
- 4 oz. jar chopped pimentos drained
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. ground pepper
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients well in a large bowl. Add a little more salt or Tony's, if needed. Refrigerate leftovers.
This estimate was created using an online nutrition calculator
Zestuous ways to eat your pimento cheese
Toasted Baguette Sandwich
Slice a 6-inch piece of French bread in half lengthwise. Spread each side with pimento cheese. Top one side with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle tomatoes with a little salt and pepper. Place under a broiler until the cheese melts. Sandwich the two halves together and enjoy.
Finger Sandwiches
Spread pimento cheese on a slice of white bread. Top with another slice of white bread. Cut off the crusts and slice the sandwich into even size pieces. I usually slice the sandwich in half and then slice each rectangle into four strips. These can be made a day in advance and stored in the fridge.
Quesadilla
Spread pimento cheese onto a corn tortilla. Place another corn tortilla on top. Spray both sides with Pam and place in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until the bottom of the tortilla starts to brown. Flip. Sprinkle with salt and continue to cook until the other side browns. Remove to plate and cut into triangles. Serve with Taco Bell hot sauce.
Dip
Heat the cheeses in the microwave and serve with tortilla chips.
Pimento Cups
Cut a circle out of a piece of bread and press it into a mini muffin tin. Scoop in some pimento cheese, top it with a sliced cherry tomato. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 8 minutes.
Karen Bell says
the best pimento cheese recipe you’ll ever make and you’ll be sharing this recipe with everyone! It travels well and tastes amazing!! Crowd-pleaser. Add in some bacon bits it’s a total game-changer!
Julie B. says
Yummy, I’m from MS and we love Newks! I just made and it was so easy and turned out delicious. My 12 yo who said he hates pimentos just ate several of the “cheese” quesadillas! LOL,hahaha. Thans for this great recipe.
zestuous says
So glad you like it Julie. Looks like you found a tasty way to sneak in a few veggies 🙂
Christy says
Do you cream the cream cream cheese or cut it into small pieces? Can’t wait to try. LOVE Newks but there is not one close to me.
zestuous says
I usually make this in a stand mixer, so everything creams together. You can stir it with a wooden spoon, too, until it reaches the consistency you like. Enjoy!
Lane says
Holy cow! This is the best pimento cheese I’ve ever had. I will never buy pimento cheese from the store ever again!