My sister brought a bowl to the cookout and my husband ate it straight off a spoon when he thought nobody was looking

This little southern 3-ingredient pimento cheese spread is the kind of thing that disappears at a cookout before the burgers even hit the grill. My sister showed up with a plain white bowl of it one summer, set it down by the chips, and I watched my husband sneak a spoonful when he thought no one was looking—then go back for another. It’s creamy, sharp, and full of those soft red pimento bits, the way folks have been making it across the South and Midwest church basements for generations. You don’t need anything fancy here, just good sharp cheddar, jarred pimentos, and real mayonnaise, stirred together until it’s the color of a sunset and thick enough to cling to a cracker.

Serve this pimento cheese well chilled in a simple white bowl with sturdy crackers, celery sticks, and thick-cut potato chips for scooping. It’s wonderful spread on soft white sandwich bread for little cut triangles, or piled onto toasted hamburger buns under a hot grilled burger. You can tuck it into celery ribs for a throwback relish tray, or spoon a dollop beside sliced summer tomatoes and cold fried chicken. If your crowd is like mine, just leave a spoon in the bowl—they’ll help themselves whether there’s bread handy or not.

Servings: 8

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded

Place the freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Shredding it yourself from a block gives a better texture than pre-shredded, which can be a little dry and powdery.

Drain the diced pimentos very well, pressing them lightly with the back of a spoon against the strainer to remove extra liquid. Too much juice will make the spread runny.

Add the drained pimentos to the bowl with the shredded cheddar cheese and toss them together so the pimentos are scattered evenly through the cheese.

Start by adding 1/2 cup of real mayonnaise to the bowl. Using a sturdy spoon, stir and mash the mixture together until the cheese, pimentos, and mayonnaise form a thick, creamy, spreadable mixture with an even orange color and visible red pimento pieces.

Check the texture: if it seems too stiff or dry, stir in more mayonnaise a tablespoon at a time until it is smooth and creamy but still thick enough to hold soft peaks on a spoon. It should cling nicely to a cracker without sliding off.

Taste and, if you like, adjust very lightly with a pinch of salt or a crack of black pepper, but keep in mind the sharp cheddar is already salty and flavorful. Many folks enjoy it just as it is with these three ingredients.

Spoon the finished pimento cheese into a white ceramic serving bowl, smoothing the top with the back of the spoon so you can see the creamy orange surface dotted with red pimento pieces and bits of cheddar texture.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. This resting time lets the flavors mingle and the spread firm up a bit, making it easier to scoop. Serve chilled, and don’t be surprised if someone ends up eating it straight from the bowl with a spoon.

If you like a little heat, stir in a small pinch of cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce along with the mayonnaise. For a more pronounced tang, you can swap part of the mayonnaise for a spoonful or two of softened cream cheese, though that technically adds an ingredient and makes it richer. Some folks in my neck of the woods also like to fold in a tablespoon of finely grated onion or a spoonful of pickle juice for a sharper bite, but I keep that for when I’m not sticking to the three-ingredient promise. You can use extra-sharp cheddar for a bolder flavor, or a mix of white and orange cheddar if that’s what you have on hand. If you must use pre-shredded cheese, expect a slightly looser texture and start with a little less mayonnaise, then adjust. For food safety, always keep the spread refrigerated until serving, and don’t leave it out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if it’s very hot outside at a cookout). Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3 to 4 days, discarding any that smells off, looks separated, or has been left out too long.