Chipotle peppers kick up this recipe for homemade Pimento Cheese Spread. Using shredded sharp cheddar cheeses, this is a Pimento Cheese recipe without cream cheese. Serve this classic cheese spread with crackers, crostini or celery.
If you’re looking for more easy cheese-y appetizer spreads, don’t miss my recipe for Cream Cheese Chicken Dip. It’s amazingly easy and amazingly delish.
What To Expect From This Recipe
Looking for a great little cracker and spread idea to impress your party guests this weekend? This Spicy Pimento Cheese may just be the ticket.
There was a time many years ago that my experience with Pimento Cheese Spread was limited to a product from a jar at the supermarket. Upon a visit to a now shuttered Southern themed restaurant in Denver, my eyes were opened to “real” Pimento Cheese Spread.
I thoroughly researched recipes to make this treat in my own kitchen and settled on a recipe where grated cheese was used and to my pleasant surprise a recipe for Pimento Cheese without Cream Cheese. Pimento cheese spread, in it’s pure form is made with grated cheeses, pimento peppers and mayonnaise. Cream cheese is not a classic ingredient.
The recipe was so good, and so easy, there’s really no reason to purchase jarred brands again.
A friend of mine made a Pimento Cheese Spread recipe with Chipotle Chile Peppers. My spicy Southwestern soul knew this would be my favorite version.
With its hearty flavor that includes a subtle smoky heat, I think you’ll love the spicy twist on the original recipe.
Simply served with crackers, this is my go to recipe when I need a quick fix appetizer. It’s a great recipe for any type of football gathering, wine night pot-luck and I even like serving it as a warm-up appetizer for a Chili Dinner with friends.
If you’d like to learn more about the history of Pimento Cheese spread, I like this article from Serious Eats. It appears it’s not really a Southern invention after all.
Let’s take a look.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes Of Interest
- I like using both White and Yellow Sharp Cheddar Cheeses. it gives pimento cheese spread a more interesting texture of color.
- Roasted Red Bell Pepper: Choose the largest roasted pepper from the olive bar at your local Supermarket.
- Chipotle Pepper in Adobo: Chipotles, which are smoked jalapeno peppers will give this Pimento Cheese Spread smoky spicy notes of flavor.
- Pimento Peppers: Purchase chopped jarred at the Supermarket.
Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy
- Step 1: Use the large holes of your box grater to grate the two sharp cheddar cheese.
- Step 2: Pimento peppers come in a jar and will already be chopped, but you’ll need to drain them well. Use a sharp knife to slit the Chipotle Peppers in Adobo down the side. Use the back of the knife to scrape out the seeds and veins. Then chop the peppers. Chop the roasted bell peppers in small pieces.
- Step 3: Add all ingredients to a large bowl.
- Step 4: Use a spoon or spatula to stir and mix well. Place in a serving bowl and serve with crackers.
Questions You May Have
Pimento peppers are small red peppers that carry a sweet tangy flavor. They’re commonly used to stuff the center of green olives. They’re not spicy and can easily be found jarred and chopped at your supermarket.
This recipe adds chopped Chipotle Peppers in Adobo which add a smoky rustic heat flavor. Chipotle Peppers can be very spicy, but I always scrape the seeds and veins from the peppers. That’s where the heat lies, and doing so, in my humble opinion makes this a medium hot flavor. This recipe calls for three Chipotle Peppers, reduce to two if you’d like, then add more if it acceptable to your tolerance.
Tips For Success
- Use a fine mesh strainer to drain the jarred pimento peppers. Let them sit for about 5 minutes until all the liquid has seeped out. I even pat them dry with a paper towel. Any moisture will thin this thick pimento cheese spread.
- Purchase quality cheddar cheeses and grate them yourself. Packages of pre-grated cheese contain additives that prevent cheese from clumping in the plastic packages. Which will alter texture and flavor.
- Be sure to buy good quality cheddar cheeses. I prefer Tillamook.
How To Serve It
- Serve it as an appetizer with a sturdy cracker. Provide a small spreader knife to avoid broker crackers in the dip.
- Pimento Cheese Sandwiches: Just butter two slices of bread, spread some of the Pimento Cheese Spread on the unbuttered side. Put the two pieces of bread together and toast the buttered sides in a non-stick fry pan.
- Serve it with crackers of your choice, crostini or even celery.
Recipe for Spicy Pimento Cheese
Homemade Pimento Cheese Spread is far superior in texture and flavor than any store purchased version. And making it yourself with quality ingredients avoids those preservative ingredients. It’s so quick to make, there’s no excuse to not make it in your own kitchen.
More Popular Cheese Appetizer Ideas
And don’t miss my appetizer category. You’ll find lots of recipes to get the party started, including the most popular on my site for Stuffed Celery with Cream Cheese and Olives.
If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.
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Spicy Pimento Cheese Recipe without Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 healthy Cup Shredded Sharp Extra White Cheddar Shredded
- 1 healthy Cup Extra Sharp Yellow Cheddar Shredded
- 1 large Roasted Red Bell Pepper Chopped, about ½ cup
- 4 ounce Chopped Pimento Peppers Jarred. Drained well.
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 3 Chipotle peppers in adobo chopped, deveined and seeded to avoid too much heat
- ½ teaspoon Dried chopped onion
Instructions
- Use the large holes of the box grater to shred the cheddar cheeses. I like to measure 1 heaping cup full of each cheddar.
- Chop the roasted red bell pepper into small pieces. You want them to blend well in the dip.
- Well drain the pimento peppers.
- Use a small knife to slice open the Chipotle peppers. Use the back of the knife to scrape out the seeds and veins. That's where the majority of the heat lies.
- In a large bowl, add the peppers, shredded cheeses, mayonnaise and dried onion flakes. Stir well. Let the dip sit for at least an hour to meld flavors and let the onion flakes soften.
- I like to serve this spicy Pimento spread with Ritz crackers. Their savory sweet flavor seems to be a good pairing for this spread.
Notes
- Use a fine mesh strainer to drain the jarred pimento peppers. Let them sit for about 5 minutes until all the liquid has seeped out. I even pat them dry with a paper towel. Any moisture will thin this thick spread.
- Purchase quality cheddar cheeses and grate them yourself. Packages of pre-grated cheese contain additives that prevent cheese from clumping in the plastic packages. Which will alter texture and flavor.
- Be sure to buy good quality cheddar cheeses. I prefer Tillamook.
Nutrition
Spicy Pimento Cheese without Cream Cheese … It’s What’s For An Appetizer
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
Lea Ann, I adore pimento cheese and as a child from the south, I grew up with a fresh jar of my mother’s homemade pimento cheese in our refrigerator always conveniently sitting there waiting for me. I have never, ever in my life used store bought pimento cheese and the few times I’ve sampled it in the supermarket, it was way too sweet for me.
I saw Bev’s pimento cheese on Larry’s blog and made a note to try it, but somehow never got around to it. It looks heavenly. The chipotles have to give this recipe a great kick.
I’m not familiar with the Italian Bullhorn red pepper. Could I use a roasted red pepper? Are the tastes similar? I’m dying to give this recipe a try.
Sam
This is SO showing up on my table for our New Year’s party. Thanks!
Good idea Dave! I do believe it would make a great little NY celebration treat. As always thanks for stopping by.
Fabulous! Stumbled this AND linked on my Facebook page (Recipe Maven.)
My mom loves this spread. I can’t wait to switch her over. That processed spread is horrible!
Chipotle and smoky are my kind of flavors….as if you didn’t know that! I like this one.
We had pimento cheese sandwiches at our tailgate on Saturday. We’ll have to try this recipe – it sounds great!!
I liked the chipolte in adobo addition. Really kicked it up a notch.
Oh Lea Ann, you are so right! That bottled stuff would put you off pimento spread for life! I’m so pleased you found a lovely homemade dip we can all enjoy. This sounds fabulous and I love the roasted pepper addition.
This looks really great! Love the chunky spread.
I like homemade pimento cheese, but your version with those roasted peppers looks like something I could seriously love! I will definitely try this. 🙂
Hi Leann! I can’t wait to see the cookbook. I’m still waiting on mine, aaarrrggghhh! Thank you so much for following my blog. I can’t wait to see your recipe. I actually live in Castle Pines North so we are probably neighbors. You pimento cheese spread looks delicious.
Thanks for the visit to my blog. Glad you found me so I could find you! Love the looks of the recipe, especially chipotle and roasted peppers, and this one looks fantastic!
This sounds KILLER!! I’m saving it and making it for the next family holiday get together…YUM! 🙂
I’ve never ahd it, but from what I hear, homemade pimiento cannot even compare to storebought. Yours sounds delicious. I really should give it a try!
Thanks Joanne.
Ooooh. I gotta have some. That was cruel to post this on a fall football weekend. Now I have to try and make it.
I saw that guy from Tillamook Cheese sitting on a bench the other day. He asked with an easy smile if I needed directions back to that lighthouse.
Too funny Dan! He must be stalking you.
Tillamook cheddar is the best! This looks really good.
I agree Marla. Every once in awhile, Whole Foods will have a big block of my favorite aged Tillamook on sale.
Thanks for the appy idea. Im bringing it to my friends Halloween bash!!
As always, thanks for stopping by and the comment Donna. Glad to have you back amongst us.
This sounds like a very tasty dip. I love anything with chipotle peppers in adobo. And the smokiness of the other peppers must add great flavor. Great idea!
Chipotle peppers in adobo are certainly a great addition for many things. Making my chipotle sliders tomorrow for a football crowd. mmmm
Thanks for the shout out – you kicked it up with the fresh roasted pimentoes. Looks great.
Thanks to you and Bev for the recipe.
Wow – I’ve always just made the plain stuff without the smoky flavors. You can bet I’ll be trying this one really soon. What a great idea! Nice shot of those beautiful roasted peppers, too.
Thanks Vickie. I did taste it before I added the chipotle and decided it needed a kick. I just love that I’ve been able to find fresh pimento peppers. I’ve got a couple more roasted and in the freezer for a rainy day.