Food and Recipes Dairy Cheese Pimento Bacon Pimiento Cheese 5.0 (1) 1 Review Bacon pimiento cheese is savory, salty, and a little bit spicy. By Julia Levy Julia Levy Julia is an experienced cook with a demonstrated history of working in the publishing industry. She is skilled in catering, food & beverage, event planning, and menu development. She tests and develops recipes in the DotDash Meredith Test Kitchen for Southern Living. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on August 28, 2024 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 20 mins Yield: 4 cups The only time you mess with a good thing is when you KNOW it's going to make it better. Case in point—this bacon-packed pimiento cheese. Store-bought pimiento cheese is fine in a pinch, but when's the last time you made it from scratch? Do you remember how much better it is? Freshly shredded, high-quality cheese, recently drained pimientos, really good mayo (like Hellmann’s), and a smoky blend of spices makes a big flavor difference. But back to messing with a good thing: Has bacon ever NOT made anything better? The crispy bacon bits in and on top of this dip make it extra special. And since you’ve added bacon, congratulations—you’ve just made pimiento cheese a breakfast food. And there’s nothing wrong with that! Ingredients 8 thick-cut bacon slices, chopped 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise 1 (4-oz.) jar diced pimientos, drained 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. onion powder 1 tsp. garlic powder 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 (8-oz.) block extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups) 1 (8-oz.) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups) Directions Cook bacon in a skillet over medium, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, and let cool completely, about 5 minutes. Discard drippings, or reserve for another use. Stir together mayonnaise, pimientos, Worcestershire, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Reserve 1 tablespoon cooked bacon. Fold cheeses and remaining cooked bacon into mayonnaise mixture until combined. Sprinkle with reserved bacon. Rate It Print