The 2-Minute Pimento Cheese Redditors Are Calling “Leagues Better Than Store-Bought”

Having grown up and lived most of my adult life in the South, I am well-versed on the subject of  pimento cheese. Despite its ubiquity (or maybe because of it), I wasn’t particularly interested in pimento cheese. After moving to Richmond, Virginia in my 20s, I finally began to appreciate the creamy cheese spread, and now I consider myself a true connoisseur.

A good pimento cheese needs to have plenty of body from the sharp shredded cheddar. Mayonnaise is a must; for me, that means Duke’s, a Southern staple. And the pimentos need to deliver a nice peppery flavor so that the cheese spread isn’t one-note. I’ve tried dozens of recipes over the years, but I have to say I am impressed with the two-minute retro pimento cheese recipe I found on Reddit recently.

How To Make 2-Minute Pimento Cheese

Pimento cheese is a classic recipe, so it’s no surprise that it would show up on the Reddit subthread r/OldRecipes. This version by /u/cupacoffey comes together in about two minutes with ingredients you might just already have.

Simply combine one pound of shredded cheddar cheese with eight ounces of diced pimentos, 1 1/2 cups of mayonnaise, and a pinch each of garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper, plus salt and pepper to taste.

On Reddit, users were thrilled with the final product, vowing that it’s so much better than store-bought. While I think there are some excellent regional brands of pimento cheese out there, I would agree that this is a delicious recipe, and it takes much less time to make it than it does to go to the store, so that’s a win.

I’ve made all kinds of pimento cheese, with additions like hot banana peppers and minced shallots, so I was delighted by how quickly this one came together. I never thought of using onion powder, but it was a great addition here.

This pimento cheese is tasty on crackers, ideally Ritz, and I’ve enjoyed it as a simple tea sandwich on crustless white bread. The last time I whipped up a batch, my six-year-old daughter asked if she could have it (and only it) for dinner, which I took as a good, if slightly troubling, sign.

Tips for Making This Pimento Cheese

• Use sharp cheddar, yellow or white, to give the pimento cheese more tang. 
• Drain the pimentos well before adding to avoid a runny pimento cheese.
• The flavor of this pimento cheese improves over time, so consider making it the night before you plan to serve it.
• Garnish with freshly chopped chives for a little pop of color.
• You can use diced roasted bell peppers instead of pimentos if you have them.