Food Ingredients Dairy Cheese Our 10 Best Pimiento Cheese Recipes By Maria Yagoda Maria Yagoda Maria Yagoda is a senior editor at Food & Wine, where she has worked for five years, specializing in restaurant and travel coverage. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 11, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: © Abby Hocking Pimiento cheese, that beloved Southern staple, is perfect on its own, but it also makes for an excellent addition to other dishes. Here are our best recipes featuring pimiento cheese, from pimiento grits to squash blossoms with pimiento ricotta. 01 of 10 Pimiento Cheese Grits © Michael Crook In this clever dish, chef Bobby Flay folds the classic ingredients of pimiento cheese (a Southern starter made with cheddar cheese, cream cheese, and roasted peppers) into warm, creamy grits, switching up smoky Spanish piquillos for jarred pimientos. Get the Recipe 02 of 10 Pimiento Cheese with Salt-and-Pepper Butter Crackers © CON POULOS TV chef Carla Hall makes her own crunchy crackers to serve with her cheese spread, a riff on a Southern classic. Get the Recipe 03 of 10 Pimiento Cheese and Bacon Crostini BURCU AVSAR There’s nothing more indulgent than melted and browned pimiento cheese topped with crispy bacon. Get the Recipe 04 of 10 Pimiento Cheese Fries LUCAS ALLEN To take his french fries over the top, chef Jonathon Sawyer broils them with a tequila-spiked pimiento cheese topping. It's wonderfully decadent melted into the fries and also excellent as a dip. Get the Recipe 05 of 10 Squash Blossoms with Pimiento Ricotta FREDRIKA STJÄRNE Brothers and cookbook authors Matt Lee and Ted Lee created this twist on classic Tuscan squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta. They mix the ricotta with pimientos — an homage to pimiento cheese, a Southern favorite — and serve the blossoms raw instead of fried. Get the Recipe 06 of 10 Pimiento Cheeseburgers with Bacon Jam © Abby Hocking “This is like a bacon cheeseburger that went to heaven,” says chef Edward Lee. We agree. The pimiento cheese and sweet bacon jam both melt into one dreamy, messy bite. Get the Recipe 07 of 10 Achari Pimiento Cheese Spread Victor Protasio Chef Farhan Momin gave this Southern staple a makeover by incorporating his mother’s classic Indian pickling spices into the cheese mixture. Serve it with some crackers, toasted naan, or between two slices of white bread. Get the Recipe 08 of 10 Poblano Pimiento Cheese–Roasted Chicken Con Poulos Ashley Christensen, the chef at Poole's in North Carolina, kicks up her pimiento cheese with spicy poblanos and green hot sauce. In this brilliant riff, F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple spreads the creamy dip under the skin of a whole bird before it's roasted to get both crispy skin and juicy meat. Get the Recipe 09 of 10 Crudité Platter with Pimiento Cheese and Shiro-Miso Dip Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Roasted delicata squash, crisp raw vegetables, and two crowd-pleasing dips make this appetizer as beautiful as it is delicious. A citrus-spiked miso dip is a refreshingly light complement to the crudités, while a classic pimiento cheese is tangy, creamy, and satisfying. Get the Recipe 10 of 10 Vegan Pimiento Cheese Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen For this vegan version, sweet pimientos stud a creamy and savory base made with extra-firm tofu. The pickle brine and apple cider vinegar lend an acidic brightness to the mixture, while nutritional yeast and miso provide deep umami notes that keep you coming back for more. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit