For many people, pimento cheese is a must-have staple on a cheese board and appetizer table — and Katie Lee Biegel agrees that you can’t go without it. But the pimento cheese you serve doesn’t always have to be the tried-and-true classic. Biegel’s version of pimento cheese is a bit tangy, a bit smoky, and you’ll want to spread it on everything.

“Ask a Southerner about pimento cheese and the usual response is something like, ‘oooohh I looooove pimento cheese.’” Biegel wrote in a May 26 Instagram caption. “Now, I’m a firm believer in the old adage of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it,’ but I switched up the traditional recipe a bit by using goat cheese and smoked cheddar. Let me tell you, it’s a gem.”

She continued, “It’s great on its own as a dip or spread for a sandwich, or try it smeared on the bun of your burger this weekend at your Memorial Day cookout.”

A post shared by Katie Lee Biegel (@katieleebiegel)

Trust us: This is a summer entertaining recipe you’ll want in your back pocket. Biegel starts with a base of tangy goat cheese and adds in a handful of shredded smoked cheddar. To make the cheese a bit more spreadable, Biegel adds a spoonful of mayo. Then, all the goodies are tossed in: salt and pepper, chopped jarred pimentos, sweet pickle relish, onion powder, scallions, and a few dashes of hot sauce to give the spread that signature red color to match the pimentos in it.

After everything is mixed well, you’re ready to serve! Biegel suggests serving with celery sticks or crackers if you’re going the appetizer route. Or, you can eat it as is on white bread to treat yourself to a delicious sandwich.

Keep it chilled in the fridge for a few days to have pimento cheese on hand for all your dip, sandwich, burger, and hot dog needs. It ain’t broke and it didn’t need fixing — but an upgrade is never a bad thing!

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