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    Home > Appetizers and Snacks > Pimento Cheese with Fire Roasted Red Peppers

    Pimento Cheese with Fire Roasted Red Peppers Roasted peppers come in a jar just like pimiento peppers!

    April 8, 2021 by gritsandgouda 6 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe

    Creamy Pimento Cheese with Fire Roasted Red Peppers is a flavorful twist to this iconic pimento cheese appetizer and sandwich spread. You can also find these mild bell peppers in a jar, close to pimento peppers.

    pimento cheese in a blue crock with some on a cracker on brown parchment

    I know. I know. It’s bordering on Southern heresy to use anything but the little bottle of diced pimento peppers in this

    The good news is fire-roasted bell peppers also come in a bottle! You don’t have to roast your own-I didn't.

    It doesn't get much more Southern than Pimiento Cheese aka "Paminna" Cheese! It's a simple concoction of cheese, mayonnaise, and pimento peppers and usually, cream cheese.

    This is a pantry-friendly variation using what you might have on hand on your shelves.

    Video

    Click on the picture or link to watch the video from my appearance on WBRC Good Day Alabama showing you how to make it and also how to roast your own peppers on a gas burner.

    Pimiento Cheese Good Day Alabama screenshot 4 10 18.png

    For complete, detailed directions scroll down for the printable recipe.

    Substitutions and Add-ins

    The most common add-ins for Southern pimento cheese are:

    • grated or minced onion
    • onion powder
    • garlic powder
    • hot sauce
    • cayenne pepper
    • ground black or white pepper
    • green olives

    You can also make pimento cheese "without pimentos". Just leave out the diced pimento peppers. Cream cheese, shredded Cheddar cheese and mayonnaise is basically the basis for a lot of cheese balls.

    I'm kinda partial to my Jalapeno Pimento Cheese recipe. It has a lot higher cream cheese to Cheddar cheese ratio than this recipe but it's super creamy.

    The jalapeno gives it a kick of flavor and crunch, as well as a pop of green color to go with the red peppers.

    I like my Cheddar cheese the sharper the better and freshly grated.

    Not all "cheese" is real cheese

    If you buy pimento cheese in a tub in the grocery store be careful to read the label. Many do not use cheese at all, rather, cheese "food". What does that even mean anyway?

    I can handle American cheese if it is real cheese and not the plastic cheese that is made from some cheese but with added saturated vegetable oil, emulsifiers, and dyed orange with coloring agents.

    cheese grater with shredded cheddar on a cutting board

    Does that make me a cheese snob or just a lover of real food?

    Luckily these pimento pepper cousins are sold in a jar, too! You might call them jarred fire roasted red peppers.

    These are not fire roasted jalapeno peppers. These are roasted red bell peppers. So, if you are looking for a spicy pimento cheese recipe, check out my Creamy Jalapeno Pimento Cheese recipe.

    How do I serve it?

    Let me count the ways to serve this creamy, savory, spreadable treat!

    • On a Ritz cracker (because everything's better on a Ritz, right?)
    • Pimento Cheeseburger: Slather it on your burger right off the grill
    • At a picnic on celery sticks
    • In a lunchbox sammich at the school cafeteria
    • Spread on water crackers and served on a silver platter at a wedding
    • Piled high between two slices of white bread and sealed in green plastic bags at the Masters golf tournament (iconic sandwich at the Masters- Call Me PMC version)
    • After work spread on a Crunchmaster multi-seed cracker (I'm addicted to these crackers too)
    • And my most recent favorite way to serve pimiento cheese is in a grilled cheese sandwich with crumbled bacon!

    I can eat Pimento Cheese in it's purist form but I do tend to experiment with flavors and textures.

    Have you ever added chopped green olives with the pimento already in the olive!? Yes, I like to play with my food! ha ha

    What's the shortcut?

    This easy recipe for Pimento Cheese with Fire Roasted Red Peppers uses the jar of fire roasted peppers as the shortcut. You don't have to roast your own.

    I was drawn to the jar of roasted red peppers in my fridge when I did not have the cute little jar of pimento peppers recently.

    I love the extra flavor the little charred bits add. I'm a huge fan of roasting my own red bell pepper over my gas burner but you have to plan ahead to have red bell peppers on hand.

    I always have a jar of roasted bell peppers, but not always fresh bell peppers.

    How to roast your own peppers

    It's super simple to roast your own red bell peppers. Just turn on your gas burner and place a red bell pepper on it with tongs. You can also place it over a hot grill grate.

    When the pepper is charred in that spot, rotate it about one fourth of the way and let it char that side. Continue until the entire pepper is charred. Quickly drop it in a paper bag. A zip-top plastic bag will also work. Close it and wait 10 minutes.

    The charred skins should slide right off. I don't work too hard to remove all the charred bits because I like the flavor. Now, all that's left is to remove the seeds inside and chop it up.

    On Fox 6 Good Day Alabama, I made a grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough bread with my Fire-Roasted Pimiento Cheese and it was a big hit! Mickey Ferguson was loving the ooey gooey, melty cheese!

    Who's ready to make some creamy Pimento Cheese?

    pimento cheese in blue crock with some on a cracker on parchment paper

    Other shortcut snacks & appetizers you will love:

    Muffuletta Dip with an Alabama Twist

    Instant Pot Boiled Peanuts

    Bacon Tomato Dip (BLT Dip)

    Bacon-Wrapped Cheesy Tater Tots

    Creamy Jalapeno Pimento Cheese

    Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube. Be social and share, y'all! Don't forget to sign up with your email so you don’t miss a single post on my Southern shortcut recipes!

    If you make this recipe I'd love to see it! Tag me on social media with #gritsandgouda or @gritsandgouda. Leave a comment below the printable recipe if you have questions or tell me how you liked the recipe. Don't forget to give the recipe a rating of 5 stars if you love it!

    Print Recipe
    5 from 7 votes

    Pimento Cheese with Fire-Roasted Peppers

    I know. I know. It’s bordering on Southern heresy to use anything but the little bottle of diced pimento peppers in this iconic snack, appetizer, and sandwich spread. But in my defense, fire-roasted peppers can also come in a bottle so you don’t have to roast your own.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Total Time10 mins
    Course: Appetizer, Snack
    Servings: 2 cups
    Calories: 81kcal
    Author: Kathleen Phillips | GritsAndGouda.com
    Cost: 4
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 8-oz block mild or sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (I like Cabot Vermont Sharp)
    • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
    • 2 tablespoons cream cheese 1 ounce, softened
    • 2 tablespoons chopped bottled fire-roasted red peppers or bottled diced pimiento peppers
    • 1 teaspoon grated sweet onion or 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • Crackers My favorite new cracker is Crunchmaster Multi-Seed crackers

    Instructions

    • Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl until all ingredients are incorporated. You can also use an electric hand mixer.
      Spread on crackers for a snack or appetizer or between bread for a sandwich. For low-carb dipping try using fresh carrot “chips”.

    Notes

    Ways to serve Pimento Cheese:
    • On a Ritz cracker (because everything's better on a Ritz, right?)
    • At a picnic on celery sticks
    • In a lunchbox sammich at the school cafeteria
    • Spread on water crackers and served on a silver platter at a wedding
    • Piled high between two slices of white bread and sealed in green plastic bags at the Masters golf tournament (iconic sandwich at the Masters- Call Me PMC version)
    • After work spread on a Crunchmaster multi-seed cracker (I'm addicted to these crackers too)
    • And my most recent favorite way to serve pimiento cheese is in a grilled cheese sandwich with crumbled bacon!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 81kcal
    Did you make this recipe?If you love it, share it! Tag me on Instagram @gritsandgouda using #gritsandgouda Comment below before you go!

    PIN IT FOR LATER

    Pinterest pin for fire roasted pimiento cheese

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Donna Creamer

      April 08, 2021 at 10:55 am

      Great recipes!
      Do you by chance remember where you got the beautiful blue bowl?
      It’s just what I’ve been looking for.
      Thank you for your time.
      Sincerely,
      Donna Creamer

      Reply
      • gritsandgouda

        April 08, 2021 at 3:59 pm

        I'm so glad you like my recipes! I love that bowl, too! Unfortunately, it was one of my thrift store finds over the last few years. I did look on the bottom of the bowl and it says MEYER. It is actually just a 7 oz bowl although it looks bigger in the picture. I hope this helps you on your quest for the bowl!

        Reply
      • Kenneth Holland

        July 01, 2021 at 3:28 am

        I have a very similar style ceramic bowl...i got it from hobby lobby...well technically from "basket market" which is a hobby lobby owned wholesale store in okc

        Reply
        • gritsandgouda

          July 01, 2021 at 8:13 am

          That's so cool! I've never seen a Basket Market but I LOVE Hobby Lobby!

          Reply
    2. Frances

      September 24, 2021 at 6:45 pm

      5 stars
      I put a little worcestershire sauce in my pimiento cheese, plus some garlic powder. The remainder of the ingredients are about the same. I also like your bowl; I bought a set of bowls at Sam's wholesale and it has a similar blue bowl in it, plus other bowls with blue and white.

      Reply
      • gritsandgouda

        September 24, 2021 at 9:40 pm

        I love to hear everyone's personal touches on pimento cheese and yours sound yummy! I bought the bowl at a thrift store. Thrifting is one of my favorite things to do on a Saturday morning!

        Reply

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    Hi y'all! I’m Kathleen. I share Southern shortcut recipes! I’m a food stylist, cookbook author, and former test kitchen director in Alabama. I take traditional Southern recipes you know and love (and a few new ones) and make them with shortcuts so you can enjoy them faster.

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    Hi y'all! I’m Kathleen. I share Southern shortcut recipes! I’m a food stylist, cookbook author, and former test kitchen director in Alabama. I take traditional Southern recipes you know and love (and a few new ones) and make them with shortcuts so you can enjoy them faster.

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