Chunky Pimento Cheese Spread
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A quick no-cook spread mixing sharp cheddar, cream cheese, mayo, and pimentos with garlic powder and salt. Ideal for sandwiches or as a dip. Adjusts easily for texture and tang. Refrigerate before use. Common substitutes included for cream cheese and mayo. Simple assembly with bread, optional pickles or olives to punch up flavor. Pulse technique keeps chunkiness, not a puree. Visual and tactile signs to stop processing. Notes on storing and remixing for freshness. Half a teaspoon max garlic powder suits most palettes. Salt adjusted for balanced savor, not overwhelming. Estimated ten minutes total. Serves four hungry folks.
Prep:
12 min
Cook:
0 min
Total:
12 min
Servings:
4 servings
#Southern American
#cheese spread
#no cook
#party snack
#easy assembly
Midway through dozens of versions, learned the key is letting cream cheese soften properly, or you’ll fight lumps that never meld. Mayo amount tweaked—too much drown cheese character, too little feels dry. Pimentos add hint of sweetness and red specks that break monotony visually and flavor-wise. Garlic powder is low but crucial for bite; fresh crushed garlic tends overpower easily. Texture is king. Past versions pulverized cheese into oblivion. Pulsing keeps nuttiness and bite. Taste evolves cold; wait before slathering or rushing. Pickles or olives bring welcome surprise layers for those craving extra crunch and punch amid creamy canvas. Times never exact—feel cheese clumps between fingers, see spread soften without melting into goo. Sound of blade pulsing a hypnotic cue that mix is close to done. No cooking involved; all cold.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups sharp white cheddar cheese shredded
- 3 1/2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons diced pimento peppers
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/3 teaspoon kosher salt
About the ingredients
Cheddar cheese brand and age affects sharpness drastically. Use aged white cheddar for bite, avoid overly mild or processed for best intensity. Cream cheese must be room temperature or spread becomes lumpy chunks that never smooth out. Substitute cream cheese with Greek yogurt strained thick or mascarpone if softer texture desired but reduce mayo slightly to avoid runny spread. Mayonnaise can be homemade or store-bought; light mayo thins mixture, use regular for body. Pimentos canned diced work best—fresh roasted red peppers chopped fine change flavor profile and color. Garlic powder preferred over raw to avoid harshness and keep shelf stability. Kosher salt enhances cheese flavor; taste as you go, halving salt loses punch, too much kills subtle heat. Remember mixing cold ingredients blends better than attempting warm or out-of-fridge.
Method
Pimento cheese spread preparation
- Dump shredded cheddar, cream cheese, mayo, pimentos, garlic powder, and salt into food processor bowl. Pulse firmly several times. Watch the color shift from white-orange to pale blush but keep texture chunky, not pureed. Stop once combined in clumps. Too long equals pasty mess.
Chill and assemble
- Refrigerate spread at least 15 minutes. Cold stiffens and flavors marry. Use quick chill in freezer if pressed.
- Ladle generous amount over 4 slices rustic white or whole wheat bread. Top each with remaining bread slice. Optionally, layer dill pickle slices or chopped green olives inside for bursts of acid and brine.
- Cut sandwiches diagonally. Serve immediately or wrap airtight to maintain moisture and texture.
Cooking tips
Start with softened cream cheese for uniform break down once pulsing. Do pulses in short bursts rather than continuous blending—helps keep texture chunky, avoids waxy chewiness. Watch color transition softly pink as pimentos disperse; this indicates thorough mixing but not overprocessing. Refrigerate spread minimum fifteen minutes to let flavors marry and stiffen. If short on time, twenty minutes in freezer works but don’t forget or it’ll freeze too hard. Assemble sandwiches just before serving to keep bread from sogging. Toast bread lightly if preferred, but cold spread is less messy and holds shape better. Adding pickles or olives after spread gives crunchy, salty contrast that cuts richness. Store leftovers sealed tightly; bring back to room temp and stir gently before reuse as spread firms up in cold. Always taste final spread before portioning to adjust salt or garlic if needed. Pressure of pulsing blade and sound indicate how long; too few pulses mean uneven and chunky too large; too many pulses flatten texture. Find that balance by watching tactile clues.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Softened cream cheese crucial. Cold means lumps stubborn as old boots. Room temp break down easier when pulsing. Short pulse bursts avoid waxy chewiness. Watch color shift orange white to pale blush; stop when clumpy but mixed. Too long equals pasty mess, no bite left. Texture is king—nobody wants sludge.
- 💡 Substitutes matter. Greek yogurt strained thick stands in for cream cheese but cut mayo down; otherwise it runs too thin. Mascarpone like silk, softer spread; reduce mayo similarly. Homemade mayo thins texture, regular mayo adds body. If short on pimentos, roasted red bell pepper works but halve quantity due to moisture. Timing must adjust if changing ingredients.
- 💡 Pulse method key. Dump all ingredients in food processor bowl, pulse firmly in short bursts. Not blend. Listen for pulsing sound rhythm; tells when mix close. Feel spread between fingers during clumping phase. Watch visual cues; color and chunk size. Over processing breaks chunks to glue. Under processed leaves unevenly mixed and too chunky.
- 💡 Salt goes last. Cheese already salty but need balance. Taste midway; too little kills subtle heat, too much drowns flavor. Garlic powder max half teaspoon. Fresh garlic can overpower and alters texture. Pickles or olives optional but provide welcome acid crunch layers; keep separately until sandwich build to avoid soggy bread.
- 💡 Storage isn’t simple. Keep airtight to avoid drying out and graininess. Refrigerate min fifteen minutes to marry flavors and stiffen spread. Freezer quick chill if pressed but don’t freeze solid or will lock texture. Re-whip spread briefly before reuse if texture firms too much. Eat sandwiches within two hours for best bread integrity.
Common questions
How to keep spread chunky not pureed?
Pulse short bursts. Watch color move soft pink with pimentos, stop at clumpy combined. Touch texture. No overblend or mush happens. Blade sounds help time. No blender run.
What to substitute for cream cheese?
Thick Greek yogurt strained good option if mayo reduced slightly, texture softer but workable. Mascarpone too, silky spread but cut mayo. Avoid cold cream cheese—lumps plague mix. Skip fresh garlic, use powder, less harsh.
How to prevent dry or soggy bread?
Spread cold and firm keeps shape, no melt mess. Add pickles or olives just before sandwich build. Use thick sliced bread for best hold. Consume within a couple hours or bread napkins spread moisture weirdly. Wrap airtight, not loose.
Best storage tips?
Airtight container or sealed plastic wrap works. Refrigerate to firm flavor marry. Quick chill freezer helps if short on time but not freeze. Re-whip gently before reuse if hard. Avoid uncovered exposure, dries out grainy and crumbly texture.
