Hatch pimento cheese | Homesick Texan

Hatch chile pimento cheese

A friend in Southeast Texas was describing her pimento cheese, which was popular with her friends. “It always goes first at parties,” she said. She then began to divulge her secrets.

At first, hers sounded much like everyone else’s pimento cheese, which is typically a blend of shredded Cheddar, mayonnaise, and the jarred red Spanish peppers that give the spread its distinctive flavor and name.

Then she leaned in and told me her surprise ingredient. “I also add chopped pecans, and it takes it over the top.”

At first, I thought this sounded bizarre, but the more I pondered it, I came to understand that cheese and pecans make wonderful partners. I enjoy them together in biscuits and my cheese balls , so why not stir some into my pimento cheese? I vowed to try it the next time I made a batch.

A few months later, another friend in far West Texas also took the time to share her pimento cheese recipe, letting me know that it was the best. Again, at first, hers sounded much like everyone else’s with its standard blend of cheese, mayonnaise, and peppers.

Hatch chile pimento cheese | Homesick Texan

Then she threw in her twist: she uses roasted long green chiles instead of jarred red pimentos. “It gives my pimento cheese an earthy kick,” she said.

I tried pimento cheese with the pecans, and I enjoyed its nutty crunch. I also tried swapping out the red jarred peppers for roasted Hatch, and again, the change was refreshing. But how would pimento cheese taste if I made a batch with both the pecans and the green chiles? I gave it a try.

For my base, I used sharp yellow Cheddar, Monterey Jack, grated onion, garlic, and mayonnaise. I chopped roasted chiles and pecans, and stirred them into the blend, along with a dash of Worcestershire and a bit of ground cumin and cayenne.

Hatch chile pimento cheese | Homesick Texan

After chilling, the dip was savory, creamy, and nutty. While pimento cheese purists will surely scoff at this version, it’s good enough for company, though also welcome to enjoy it as a treat on your own.

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Print
5 from 7 votes

Hatch chile pimento cheese

Course Appetizer
Cuisine Texan
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting time 1 hour
Servings 8
Author Lisa Fain

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a bowl, stir together the Cheddar, Monterey Jack, onion, garlic, chiles, pecans, cumin, cayenne, mayonnaise, lime juice, and Worcestershire sauce until well blended. Taste and add adjust seasonings and condiments, and add salt if desired.
  • Refrigerate covered for at least an hour before serving. Serve chilled with crackers.

Notes

The pimento cheese will taste better if you grate the cheese yourself instead of using the pre-shredded cheeses, as they also include fillers that will affect the texture of the dish. 

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Recipe Rating




14 Comments

  1. Melissa Case says:

    5 stars
    LISA! This is, hands down, the best pimento cheese I’ve ever made (or eaten). I served up a full-on Homesick Texan feast yesterday and this was one of the sides; every bit of it was gone in about 20 minutes. To amp it up a bit, I put it in the oven at 350° for about 25 minutes and it was simply to die for.

    1. Lisa Fain says:

      Melissa–Dang! I love the idea to serve it heated. I will be trying that! Thank you for sharing your feedback. I’m so glad it was a hit!

  2. Raleigh Tirion says:

    5 stars
    Hatch green chilies are so seasonal. I would love to have this as an appetizer this upcoming holiday. (Thanksgiving) H.E.B. doesn’t have any chilies except the regular jalapeno, serrano, etc. Would the taste be the same or close if I used canned green chilies? It looks really good and want to try this!

    1. Lisa Fain says:

      Raleigh–You can usually find Anaheim chiles during the off season, which is essentially the same thing. You could also use canned! A roasted poblano would also work. Enjoy!