Spicy Pimento Cheese

Traditional pimento cheese has nothing on this spiced up version! Smoky with just the right amount of heat, this spicy pimento cheese spread is perfect for your game day party trays.

I did not grow up in a Southern state, but I did grow up with pimento cheese. Our local butcher whipped up fresh batches every few days, and Mom kept the fridge stocked with tubs that never lasted long. I didn’t really know what it was; I just knew that lunch meant yummy pimento cheese sandwiches on white bread, and I couldn’t wait!

It was only much later in life that I learned that, as a Northerner, I wasn’t supposed to understand the ways of authentic pimento cheese. But I did, and I was as picky about it as any Southern belle. Traditional pimento cheese has just a few ingredients: mayo, cheese, and pimentos – no cream cheese, please – and I became one of those tsk-tsking Judgy McJudgerson people at parties where the pimento cheese spread was weird with too many ingredients. Or filled with cream cheese.

And now I get to turn that judgy side-eye back on myself, because over the holiday season, I saw soooo many pimento cheese recipes on the interwebs that I’ve had a non-stop hankerin’ for it ever since. And not just a taste for traditional pimento cheese, but something smoky and spicy and unexpected that my former picky pimento cheese self would eye-roll over.

And if there was ever a reason to pull out all the stops for delicious, extra special snacky snack foods, it’s Game Day. So, I wrote up my ingredient list and headed to Kroger to load up my cart.

Back home, I couldn’t wait to whip up the saucy base. Smoked paprika and chipotle chili powder are the stars here. And for a touch of vinegary goodness, I added some pickled jalapenos, which was just awesome.

As you can see throughout the photos here, spicy pimento cheese is one-bowl preparation. Whisk up the sauce, and fold in the cheese.

Speaking of cheese, here’s where the magic happens: I selected two types – a super sharp cheddar and a really smooth and lovely Irish cheddar – and combined everything with the smoky pimento sauce.

And now for my favorite part of recipe creation: testing! Quality control testing {munch} is important, people {nomnom}. Very {munchmunch} important.

I may or may not have “accidentally” broken some TRISCUIT Crackers so that I could use them as an excuse for extra testing and double-checking. I admit nothing. #accidentallyonpurpose

Now that’s a game day spread I’m excited to serve! TRISCUIT Crackers are the perfect vehicle to carry the spicy pimento cheese goodness to the mouths of your hungry football-lovin’ snackers. They’re sturdy and crunchy, with just the right amount of earthy wheat to complement the rich spiciness of the cheese.

If you’re spending the day tailgating, spoon the pimento cheese into a sealable bowl, and let the crowd use the TRISCUIT Crackers as dippers, for walk-around snackability.

Or, you can be the super-organized hostess that I’m not and schmear a platterful of TRISCUIT Crackers ahead of time with the spread. If you go that route, I highly recommend topping each with a slice of pickled jalapeno. Just because.

How many of you are early morning shoppers, like me? The view above of my local Kroger’s cracker aisle is one of the advantages of a still-dark shopping trip: the NABISCO delivery person had just finished restocking the shelves for the new day, and I had first dibs! Also, note the price on the shelves: that low price is about to go even lower. Now through 1/28/2018, Kroger is putting delicious snacks in play by offering TRISCUIT Crackers on sale for just $1.99. Buy a box for Game Day, and an extra box for Because I Really Need a Crunchy Snack Day.

Karen xo

Print Recipe

4.50 from 2 votes

Spicy Pimento Cheese with TRISCUIT Crackers Recipe

Smoky with just the right amount of heat, this pimento cheese spread is perfect for your game day party trays.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Refrigeration time3 hours hrs

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pimento cheese

Servings: 2 cups

Author: Karen Gibson

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup mayo
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard powder
• 4 ounce jar pimentos drained
• 2 tablespoons minced pickled jalapeños
• 1 tablespoon grated onion
• 8 ounces super sharp cheddar cheese grated
• 8 ounces white cheddar grated
• TRISCUIT Crackers for serving (6 crackers make up 1 serving)

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayo, Worcestershire sauce, and dried spices until thoroughly combined.
• Stir in the pimentos, jalapeños, and onion. The mayo sauce should creamy but loose (and pink!)
• Fold in the cheeses and stir until combined.
• Cover the bowl and let rest in the fridge for at least 3 hours (preferably overnight). Serve with TRISCUIT crackers and extra slices of pickled jalapeños

Nutritional information, if shown, is provided as a courtesy only, and is not to be taken as medical information or advice. The nutritional values of your preparation of this recipe are impacted by several factors, including, but not limited to, the ingredient brands you use, any substitutions or measurement changes you make, and measuring accuracy.

Pin Spicy Pimento Cheese recipe for later:

Pinterest fans, if you’d like to save this recipe for later, use these images (or any image above) to pin to your boards (they’re small here, but thanks to the magic of the interwebs, they’ll be full size when you pin them). Thanks for sharing, and most of all, thank you so much for reading this post! Blogging wouldn’t be any fun without you!