Pimento cheese is the pâté of the South — and every cook swears theirs is the only one worth making. Ours is sharp cheddar hand-grated into a whipped cream-cheese base, brightened with pimentos and given a Cajun edge with Swamp Dust.
Pair with Swamp Dust · Serves 8–10 · Prep 15 min
Ingredients
- 2 cups sharp cheddar, hand-grated
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup diced pimentos (or roasted red pepper), drained
- 1 tsp Swamp Dust, plus a pinch to finish
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Pinch of cayenne
- Kosher salt to taste
- To serve: crackers, celery sticks, and crudités
Directions
- 1
Whip the base. Beat cream cheese and mayonnaise until completely smooth.
- 2
Fold in the cheese. Add cheddar, pimentos, 1 tsp Swamp Dust, Worcestershire, and cayenne; fold until combined but still a little chunky — do not overmix into a paste.
- 3
Season. Taste and adjust with salt and more Swamp Dust.
- 4
Serve. Pile into a bowl, dust with a pinch of Swamp Dust, serve cold with crackers and celery. (To serve warm: bake in a small dish at 350°F for 20 minutes until bubbling.)
Greer's Bar Notes
- Grate your own cheese — pre-shredded is coated in starch that keeps it from getting creamy.
- Swamp Dust is the Cajun edge that sets this apart; start with a teaspoon and build.
- Baked warm it becomes a hot dip for cold weather; serve with toasted baguette.
Made with Swamp Dust — the pâté of the South, with a Cajun accent.