If you like pimento cheese, you will love pimento cheese bites! Your guests will love them too, and they will definitely become your new favorite party appetizer! Pimento cheese bites are the prefect combination of creamy, cheesy, and crunchy, with a touch of heat. They are bite size, which makes them perfect for cocktails and mingling.
This recipe is super easy with simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. This pimento cheese is so good, you’ll want to whip up a batch to put on sandwiches, crackers, veggies, and burgers.
But today we’re talking about a party appetizer that will definitely be a crowd pleaser. I love a recipe that can be done ahead of time. Make your pimento cheese the day before to make things less hectic on party day. They are so easy to assemble, you can put them together right before your guests arrive.
Below are the ingredients for Pimento Cheese Bites. For a larger crowd, simply double all of the ingredients, except the pepper jelly (1 jar is more than you’ll ever need, but try it on crackers with cream cheese and it won’t go to waste!)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups shredded cheddar
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 4 ounce jar pimentos, drained
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 boxes phyllo pastry shells
- 10 ounce jar pepper jelly
Pretty simple right?! No crazy ingredients here. Although, I can never seem to remember where to find the pimentos. If you use grocery pickup, someone else has to find it! Now you’re ready to get started!
HOW TO MAKE PIMENTO CHEESE BITES
Combine
You’ll want your cream cheese to be very soft and easy to mix with the other ingredients. In a large bowl, combine cheddar, cream cheeese, mayonnaise, onion powder, garlic powder, pimentos, hot sauce, (I know I said 1/2 teaspoon, but if you’re like me and want more of a kick, you can double or even triple that!) and salt and pepper. That’s it for the pimento cheese! If you’re making this a day ahead, place the mixture in a covered bowl in the refrigerator.
Bake and fill pastry cups
It’s time to put it all together! If you refrigerated the pimento cheese overnight, you’ll want to let it sit out for about 10 to 15 minutes to soften a bit. Bake the phyllo pastry cups according to the package directions, which is a super quick 3-5 minutes and then allow them to cool.
Now that you’re pimento cheese has softened and pastry cups are ready, let’s make these bite size appetizers. Fill each cup with your pimento cheese mixture. Place a small dollop of pepper jelly on each bite. I love pepper jelly and it really is the star of the pimento cheese bites. Pepper jelly comes in both red and green. I love to use the red for Christmas parties and the lighter green jalapeño pepper jelly is prefect for spring and summer get- togethers.
Serve
Line your pimento cheese bites on a tray or platter and they are ready for your guests! That’s it! So easy! Be ready to refill your platters. Your guests will eat them up!
Enjoy your pimento cheese bites!
Pimento Cheese Bites
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 4 ounces pimentos, drained
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 boxes phyllo shells
- 10 ounces pepper jelly
Instructions
- Bake phyllo shells according to package instructions. Set aside to cool.
- Combine cheddar, cream cheese, mayonnaise, onion powder, garlic powder, pimentos, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Fill each phyllo cup with pimento cheese.
- Top each cup with a small dollop of pepper jelly.
- Serve on platter or tray. Best if served immediately.
