Southerners taste and review the Barefoot Contessa’s pimiento cheese.

There are few people more beloved in the food world thanIna Garten.

Her oven-fried buttermilk chicken,pimiento cheese, and coconut cake recipes have millions of fans.

Southern Living Basic Pimento Cheese in a bowl to serve with crackers and vegetables

Credit:Fred Hardy; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

So we decided to put Inas most Southern dishes to the testwith love, of course.

Inas Version

As the name of the recipe says, this is a kicked-up pimiento cheese.

(We used medium Cheddar, although a sharp or extra-sharp would probably be even better.)

Ina Garten’s Spicy Pimiento Cheese

Credit:Southern Living