Trader Joe's Pimento Cheese Is Finally Here, and We Tried It

Sarra Sedghi

Even if you’re not an avid devotee of the Inside Trader Joe’s podcast, chances are you heard (or read) about one of their most anticipated releases of the year: Pimento Cheese Dip.

There’s a chance you’ve already tasted it yourself as well. The dip quietly rolled out over the summer, but not all Trader Joe’s stores release new products at the same time. Case in point? Our local franchise, which didn’t get it until the end of August. While we waited, though, we were enamored with other recent releases, including Bloody Mary Salsa, Mochi Cake Mix, and Ube Ice Cream. Anyway, on to the cheese.

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🧀Calling all the cheese lovers 🧀This new pimento cheese dip is quite cheddery. It’s to be enjoyed right out of the fridge (not to be heated!!). It has chunks of cheese and pimentos throughout. Not a healthy dip, but definitely a crowd pleaser if you’re entertaining. At first spoonful, I immediately envisioned this as a grilled cheese which is not the traditional cracker method that most use to enjoy this dip. Overall it’s delicious but something I would only buy if I’m having a get together. Have you tried it? What’s your method of consumption - cracker, spoon or ???

A post shared by Trader Joe's List (@traderjoeslist) on Jul 17, 2019 at 7:56am PDT

A quick note: MyRecipes’ headquarters is in Alabama, so we have standards when it comes to pimento cheese (not too much mayonnaise, a flavor that’s not overwhelming, identifiable—but not clunky—shreds of cheese, and enough pimentos so it isn’t just cheese with mayonnaise, for example).

That being said, we enjoyed the Pimento Cheese Dip. As a “dip,” it’s creamier than a standard pimento cheese, kind of like a spread. TJ’s take on pimento cheese also has strong cheddar notes that evoke Velveeta vibes—the dip contains extra sharp cheddar, so the taste makes perfect sense. It’s creamy enough to spread on crackers and fruit slices, but will also hold up in a sandwich, especially anything involving melting or toasting.

The 10-ounce tubs run for $3.99 and are available now.