Whipped Pimento Cheese

Another Saturday, another fantastic appetizer to whet your appetite (as they do). My Whipped Pimento Cheese is a softer, floofier take on my best ever Southern Style Pimento Cheese. Many people whip their pimento cheese, and prefer it that way all the time. My classic recipe is not whipped – there is no food processor, no additional ingredients going on to add extra fluff. But this whipped version is worth having in your appetizer arsenal, as it works great with more delicate crackers, veggies and chips. It also works beautifully as a sandwich or wrap spread, or slathered onto juicy burgers.

What is Whipped Pimento Cheese?

It is what it sounds like it would be: pimento cheese (not pimiento cheese) that has been whipped into a fluffy, pillowy pile of dippable deliciousness. Now, a lot of Southerners whip their pimento cheese, as it’s a nice way to do things. It really is. I’ve seen so many iterations of classic pimento cheese – all of them delicious in their own right – that I’ve sort of low key taken it upon myself to share as many here as I can.

This version – this whipped pimento cheese – is great for its versatility. Because we are introducing yogurt into the mix (or ricotta, or cream cheese) things start to get extra smooth in the food processor – it’s a different consistency than a standard bowl and spoon pimento cheese. It’s the food processor, I suppose, that most supports the qualification as “whipped.”

What is the best kind of cheese to use for pimento cheese?

I’ve talked about this ad nauseam, I really have. There is no substitute for this aspect of a pimento cheese recipe, not if you want it to be delicious. It has to be this:

FRESHLY GRATED EXTRA SHARP CHEDDAR

Firstly, the extra sharpness is what makes it so great. The flavor! The punch! The pizzaz! Yes, it’s got to be “extra,” or probably don’t bother with it at all. The same bold truth can be said for grating the cheese fresh. No bags of pre-shredded junk. Those little shards and shreds are usually coated in a powdery preservative that really isn’t good eats at all, and thus should be avoided when and where possible. It’s 100% worth doing and will make all the difference in the world.

What to serve with this Whipped Pimento Cheese?

This is where the beauty of Whipped Pimento Cheese really lies. The softer, fluffier consistency makes it pretty versatile. I’m not just throwing my classic recipe into the food processor and giving it a whir (though you of course could do that and it would be great). No, we’re actually adding some tangy, creamy yogurt or cream cheese to the ingredient list, which simply serves to add to the softness of it all.

Because it’s all whippy and creamy-like, this version of pimento cheese is even better suited for delicate dippers (think water crackers, pretzel chips, etc.). But really, I think this stuff shines brightest when it’s implemented as a sandwich spread or a burger topping. It goes on so easily and melts onto anything warm beautifully (thanks to the yogurt + mayo combo).

You could use this as a spread on the best ever veggie burgers (no exaggeration, they’re amazing). Or, you could spread this stuff all over these Turkey, Apple and Cheese sandwiches or Hot Honey Oven Fried Chicken Sandwiches. It would be a perfect addition to a holiday (or any day) charcuterie board. Or! Oh, this is a good one … try adding some into this mac and cheese recipe. Uggh so good.

How to store pimento cheese

This pimento cheese recipe will keep for you in the fridge for up to almost two weeks, so long as it’s covered. So, a good lidded storage container or a bowl that has been snuggly wrapped will do the trick. I recommend allowing a little time for this to come back up to room temperature before serving. This helps the flavors to jive and become all that they can be. Super cold pimento cheese ain’t it, y’all.

Can you freeze pimento cheese?

I mean, yeah. But I wouldn’t recommend it. Mayo + freezer = sadness. The texture and consistency of this will suffer from any time spent at freezing temperatures, so maybe just don’t do that.

Whipped Pimento Cheese: What You’ll Need

There seem to be as many iterations of a classic pimento cheese – as many riffs – as there are fish in the sea. I may go so far as to say that no two recipes are exactly the same. Like tasty, cheesy little snowflakes they are. I personally like to keep things pretty minimalist, but I do think that the addition of a teeny bit of fresh oniony bite and a hint of garlic (just powder) really do round out the flavor of pimento cheese. They make it irresistible. So, you’d be hard-pressed to find a recipe from me that doesn’t have these things.

This whipped pimento cheese is no exception. Just a heaping tablespoon of onion or shallot really acts almost like a seasoning to the whole thing and speaking of seasoning – LOTS of freshly cracked black pepper is a total requirement in any great pimento cheese recipe. So, don’t hold back there.

INGREDIENTS

8 ounce black of extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated (pre-shredded cheese won’t work) 

1 heaping tablespoon chopped shallot or onion

4-ounce jar pimentos, drained

Dash of garlic powder (optional, technically a dash is ⅛ tsp)

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 to 4 tablespoons plain yogurt (cream cheese or ricotta also work well)

How to make Whipped Pimento Cheese

This is EASY guys. We’re talking a dump-everything-in-the-food-processor and GO! There are no major steps to take, no real wizardry here. You do, however, need to take a second to grate your cheese. DO NOT BUY PRE-SHREDDED cheese. It’s flavorless in comparison and coated in this powdery, gritty preservative stuff that is certifiably not delicious.

So anyway. Just grab a block of the good stuff, and you’ll be off to the races. Speaking of which, I am from Kentucky, so the Derby is a thing in my family. And we have never ever had a Derby party without a big bowl of pimento cheese present. No way would that ever fly. Derby parties and pimento cheese go together like peas and carrots, eggs and bacon.

DIRECTIONS

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until totally smooth and creamy.
2. Taste and adjust for seasoning, consistency, etc. Make it yours!
3. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve at room temperature. Or, you can store in the fridge in a lidded/covered container for up to a week – 1.5 weeks. 

If you like the looks of this Whipped Pimento Cheese recipe, you might also want to try:

Best Pimento Cheese

Pumpkin Pimento Cheese Ball

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