For many of us, Trader Joe’s is the go-to spot for its fun, unique selection of tasty foods. For instance, Trader Joe’s has some great frozen seafood, along with stellar breads, chips, and other snacks. When it comes to dips and spreads to add to those latter items, though, good old TJ’s can be hit or miss, as Chowhound discovered when we assessed which Trader Joe’s dips you should buy and which you should avoid. Our reviewer, a Southerner with high standards for pimento cheese dip, found that the Trader Joe’s version fell flat — or, in this case, thick. The texture was just way too dense for proper scooping, and the dip broke the cardinal rule of dips by literally breaking our reviewer’s chips with its unyielding, clumpy texture.
A great flavor may have saved the dip — it could always be repurposed in a pimento cheese sandwich, after all, provided you could get it to spread. But we found that Trader Joe’s pimento cheese dip also tasted disappointing, with muted cheese notes that simply didn’t fulfill the gustatory obligation of a pimento cheese: to be tasty as all get-out. It’s supposed to be rich and savory, with a little punch of acidity and sweetness from diced pimentos (a small, mild red pepper).
Our reviewer ultimately recommended making pimento cheese yourself rather than spending the money on this Trader Joe’s version. So, let’s go over some tips to prevent your own batch of “Southern pâté” from ending up a bland, clumpy tub of nope like Trader Joe’s.
How to make better pimento cheese dip than Trader Joe’s version
We don’t exactly know why Trader’s Joe’s pimento cheese was so overly thick, but we’ve got our suspicions. For starters, for a smooth, creamy pimento cheese dip that won’t clump together and break your chips, you’ll want to shred your cheddar by hand rather than relying on the pre-shredded stuff. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking agents (that’s why pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt well), and we don’t want anything keeping our cheese shreds from binding with the mayo and other ingredients. It can also be helpful to finely shred half your cheese (using the small holes of your grater) and coarsely shred the rest, offering both the satisfying mouthfeel of the regular shred and the luscious, more spreadable quality of the finer shreds.
Part of the flavor in traditional pimento cheese comes, of course, from the cheese (so use one you love), not to mention the cream cheese (so maybe stick with full-fat). The pimentos are also key, with their bright zestiness, but if you prefer your dip spicy, swap them out for Peruvian cherry peppers — they taste similar to pimentos but offer an actual kick.
For even more flavor, look to the stars. Gordon Ramsay tops his pimento cheese with smoked paprika breadcrumbs for smokiness and crunch, while Ina Garten spices up her pimento spread with jalapeños and sriracha. Put all these tips together for a pimento cheese dip that will utterly eclipse Trader Joe’s.
