Classic Pimiento Cheese Recipe

This delightful YouTube cooking video shows Mama Redbuck sharing her authentic Southern pimento cheese recipe along with a spicy pepper cheese variation. Both recipes come straight from her family traditions in backwoods Georgia, where her mother first taught her these beloved spreads that have become staples across the South.

We’re sharing this recap so you can easily follow along and create these creamy, flavorful cheese spreads in your own kitchen. The video captures the warm, homestyle cooking that makes Southern pimento cheese so special, plus offers a bonus spicy version for those who like a little heat with their comfort food.

Key Takeaways

• Fresh grated cheese works much better than pre-shredded cheese for the best texture and taste.
• Both recipes use simple ingredients that you can adjust to your family’s preferences.
• The pepper cheese version uses jalapeños with white cheddar for a spicy twist on the classic recipe.

Getting Your Ingredients Ready for Southern Pimiento Cheese

Making this beloved Southern spread starts with picking the right ingredients. The beauty of pimiento cheese lies in its simplicity – just four basic items come together to create something truly special.

Selecting Your Cheese

The cheese makes all the difference in your pimiento cheese. Extra sharp cheddar gives the best flavor and bite.

Mama Redbuck always grates her own cheese from a block. She cuts it into smaller pieces first, then grates it bit by bit. This takes some time, but it’s worth the effort.

Why not use pre-shredded cheese? Those bags of grated cheese have a coating to stop them from sticking together. This coating changes how the cheese feels and tastes in your spread.

Mix it up: You can use half a pound of sharp cheddar with half a pound of Monterey Jack for a different flavor.

Finding Good Pimientos

Look for pimientos in small glass jars at the store. These are usually about four ounces each.

Important tip: Drain the liquid before using them. Just pour off that extra juice – you don’t want watery pimiento cheese.

The jar might look like it has lots of pimientos, but once you mix everything together, they spread out just right through all that cheese.

Getting the Mayo Right

There’s no perfect amount of mayonnaise. Start with less than you think you need. You can always add more.

The mayo makes your cheese spread creamy and easy to put on crackers or bread. Add a little, mix it up, then taste. Keep adding until it looks and tastes just how you like it.

Some folks like their pimiento cheese thick. Others want it more creamy. It’s all about what makes you happy.

Adding Black Pepper for Flavor

A little black pepper wakes up all the other flavors. You don’t need much – just a light sprinkle.

Regular ground black pepper works fine. Mix it in with everything else and taste. The pepper should add a tiny kick without taking over the show.

Making Your Own True Southern Pimento Cheese Spread

Fresh Grated Cheese vs Store-Bought Shreds

Mama Redbuck swears by grating her own cheese, and there’s good reason for it. She uses a pound of extra sharp cheddar, cutting it into smaller pieces first to make the grating easier.

The store-bought pre-shredded cheese just doesn’t work the same way. It has a coating on it to prevent caking, which gives the final spread an odd texture. For the best creamy, spreadable pimento cheese, take the extra few minutes to grate your own.

You can mix things up by using half a pound of sharp cheddar with half a pound of Monterey Jack if you want to try something different.

Getting the Pimientos Ready

Those little red pimientos come packed in liquid, but you don’t want that extra moisture making your spread watery. Mama Redbuck drains the four-ounce jar right in her hand before adding the pimientos to the cheese.

The amount you use is really up to your family’s taste. Some folks like more pimientos for extra flavor and color, while others prefer just a light touch.

Adding the Creamy Base

Here’s where the magic happens with the mayonnaise. Start with just a little bit because you can always add more, but you can’t take it out once it’s mixed in.

There’s no exact right amount – it’s whatever makes your family happy. The mayonnaise should make the mixture nice and creamy and very spreadable. You’ll know it’s perfect when it has that smooth, welcoming look that makes you want to grab a cracker right away.

Bringing It All Together the Traditional Way

The final step is simple stirring with just four basic ingredients:

• Fresh grated cheese
• Drained pimientos
• Mayonnaise
• A little black pepper

Once you start mixing everything together, that mountain of cheese becomes much more manageable. The mixture comes together into something truly special – creamy, flavorful, and perfect for sandwiches or crackers.

Add just a touch of black pepper for that little extra something. Mama Redbuck sometimes uses peppercorns, but regular McCormick black pepper works just fine when you’re keeping things simple.

Family Heritage & Southern Kitchen Traditions

Georgia Background and Childhood Tales

Growing up at the end of a dirt road deep in the Georgia backwoods shaped everything about how this family cooks. The house sat surrounded by tall pine trees where prisoners sometimes escaped from nearby facilities.

Life was different back then. As a child, she remembers checking under cinder block steps for snakes before going outside to play. The woods held all sorts of creatures and surprises.

What made it special:

• Remote location down a long dirt road
• Dense pine forest surroundings
• Simple country living with real challenges
• Close family bonds formed through shared experiences

Grandmother’s Recipe Legacy

Her grandmother started the whole pimento cheese tradition in that little Georgia home. The recipe passed down through generations wasn’t written anywhere fancy. It lived in memory and heart.

The original recipe used just four basic ingredients. No fancy measurements or complicated steps. Grandma knew that good food comes from simple things done right.

This wasn’t store-bought spread from the grocery shelf. It was real cheese grated by hand with love and patience. The family gathered around the kitchen watching and learning without even knowing they were getting cooking lessons.

Traditional Elements	Modern Touches
Hand-grated cheese	Same technique today
Basic seasonings	Still keeps it simple
Family gathering time	Sharing through video
Passed-down knowledge	Teaching new generations

Time-Honored Kitchen Wisdom

The cooking methods stayed true to those early Georgia days. Fresh cheese gets grated by hand because pre-shredded cheese has coatings that change the texture. Nobody wants watery pimento cheese.

Key kitchen lessons learned:

• Always drain liquid from jarred pimentos
• Add mayonnaise slowly until it looks right
• Taste as you go – there’s no wrong amount
• Keep ingredients simple for best results

She learned that store-bought grated cheese feels different and sometimes waxy. The coating they put on it to prevent clumping ruins the creamy texture that makes homemade pimento cheese special.

Fresh vs. Pre-Made:

• Fresh grated: Clean taste and smooth texture
• Pre-packaged: Coating creates odd mouthfeel
• Jarred pimentos: Drain excess liquid first
• Homemade mayo: Can control consistency better

The pepper cheese variation came later but follows the same principles. White cheddar works better for spreads that go on bread. The mayonnaise and cheese calm down spicy jalapeños more than most people expect.

Spicy Cheese Spread: A Bold Family Recipe

Sharp White Cheddar Makes It Extra Smooth

White cheddar cheese works best for this spicy spread. The creator grates about a pound of white cheddar by hand instead of buying pre-shredded cheese.

Store-bought shredded cheese has a coating to stop it from sticking together. This coating changes how the cheese tastes and feels. Fresh grated cheese gives a much better texture.

Why Fresh Grated Cheese Works Better:

• No waxy coating
• Smoother final texture
• Better flavor
• Mixes easier with other ingredients

The white cheddar stays firm when mixed. This makes the spread perfect for sandwiches and crackers.

Hot Peppers: Finding Your Perfect Heat Level

A whole jar of jalapeños goes into this cheese spread. That might seem like too much, but the cheese and mayo cool down the heat.

The creator uses a 4-ounce jar of jalapeños. He drains the liquid first so the spread won’t get watery. You can add more or fewer peppers based on what your family likes.

Jalapeño Tips:

• Drain the jar liquid completely
• Start with less if you’re worried about heat
• The mayo and cheese reduce the spice
• Chop them smaller for even heat throughout

The peppers give the spread its kick. But the creamy ingredients balance out the heat nicely.

Blending and Testing Your Spicy Cheese

Just like making regular pimento cheese, this recipe uses simple steps. Mix the grated white cheddar with the drained jalapeños and mayo.

The mayo helps everything stick together. Add a little at first, then more if needed. You want the spread to look creamy and easy to spread.

Mixing Steps:

1. Grate fresh white cheddar cheese
2. Drain jalapeños well
3. Add small amounts of mayo
4. Stir until creamy and spreadable

No black pepper goes in this version. The jalapeños provide all the spice you need. Once mixed, the spread tastes much milder than you’d expect from a whole jar of peppers.

The cheese and mayo really do calm down the heat. Even people who worry about spicy food often find this spread just right.

Serving Ideas and Helpful Hints

Best Matches: Crackers and Bread

When you’ve made your homemade pimento cheese, you’ll want to show it off with the right companions. Crackers make the perfect partner for both pimento cheese and pepper cheese spreads.

The cook in the video shows how well these spreads work on simple crackers. The crunch pairs nicely with the creamy texture. You can also make delicious sandwiches with either spread.

For the spicy pepper cheese version, putting it on bread or crackers actually helps cool down the heat. The extra carbs work alongside the mayonnaise and cheese to tone down those jalapeños.

Cooling Down Spicy Flavors for Sensitive Taste Buds

If you’re worried about the pepper cheese being too hot for your family, don’t stress. The recipe creator explains how the mayonnaise and cheese work together to reduce the heat from the jalapeños.

Even though a whole jar of jalapeños might look scary, the dairy and mayo create a cooling effect. The heat gets spread out through all that cheese and becomes much milder.

You can always start with fewer peppers if you’re concerned:

• Use half a jar instead of a full one
• Taste as you go and add more if needed
• Remember that serving it with crackers or bread cuts the heat even more

The video shows that even someone nervous about spicy food found it manageable once they tried it on a cracker.

Making Everyone Happy at Get-Togethers

These cheese spreads work great when you’re feeding a crowd. You can make both versions to give people choices – regular pimento cheese for those who prefer mild flavors and pepper cheese for folks who like a little kick.

Both spreads are:

• Easy to make ahead of time
• Simple to serve with crackers or bread
• Made with just a few basic ingredients
• Crowd-pleasers that remind people of home cooking

The beauty of these recipes is that you can adjust them to your family’s taste. Add more or less mayonnaise depending on how creamy you like it. The video creator emphasizes there’s no wrong amount – just whatever makes you happy.

Finishing Touches with Warmth and Giggles

The magic happens when everything comes together! He tastes the first batch with a cracker and declares it perfect – not too much mayonnaise, just creamy and spreadable. She agrees after her own taste test, noting how that mountain of cheese suddenly looks much more reasonable once it’s all mixed up.

The basic pimento cheese contains just four simple ingredients:

• Sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 pound, freshly grated)
• Pimentos (one 4-ounce jar, drained)
• Mayonnaise (add gradually to taste)
• Black pepper (just a pinch)

But wait – there’s more! He decides to create a bonus recipe right on the spot. Time for camera duty switcheroo! She takes over filming duties (with some gentle reminders about holding expensive equipment carefully) while he whips up a spicy pepper cheese variation.

This second spread uses white cheddar cheese instead. He grates it up while joking about needing her stronger arms for the job. Then comes the star ingredient – whole jalapeños! She watches in amazement as he adds what seems like an alarming amount of peppers.

“That’s an awful lot,” she worries, turning red just watching him add pepper after pepper. But he reassures her that the creamy cheese and mayonnaise will tame the heat significantly.

For the pepper cheese version:

• White cheddar cheese (freshly grated)
• Jalapeños (chopped, as many as you can handle)
• Mayonnaise
• No black pepper needed – the jalapeños provide plenty of kick

The taste test reveals the truth. Even with all those peppers, the heat stays manageable thanks to the cooling effect of dairy and mayo. She bravely tries a bite and admits it’s not as fiery as expected, though still too spicy for her taste buds.

Both spreads work beautifully on crackers, bread, or anywhere you need a creamy, flavorful addition. The recipes live on his website for anyone wanting to recreate these Southern favorites at home.

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