Air Fryer Pitmaster Pimento Cheese Toasts

AF-200 Crew BBQ Recipe

Air Fryer Pitmaster Pimento Cheese Toasts

This is proper Southern smokehouse comfort. Thick slices of toasted bread loaded with rich homemade pimento cheese, crispy bacon, smoky jalapeños and a final blast in the air fryer until everything bubbles into one gloriously messy masterpiece. They work as a starter, a side, or the first thing to disappear while the brisket's still resting.

Air Fryer Pitmaster Pimento Cheese Toasts
Air Fryer Pitmaster Pimento Cheese Toasts preparation stage

You’ll Need

For the Pimento Cheese
150g mature cheddar, grated
50g Red Leicester, grated
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp cream cheese
80g roasted red peppers (pimentos), finely diced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Freshly cracked black pepper

For the Toasts
4 thick slices sourdough or rustic white bread
30g butter, softened
4 rashers smoked streaky bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped
1 jalapeño, finely sliced

Optional but dangerous
Hot honey drizzle
Crispy onions
Fresh chives
BBQ pulled pork
Extra grated cheddar

Method

Preheat your air fryer to 190°C.

In a bowl, combine the mature cheddar, Red Leicester, mayonnaise, cream cheese, roasted peppers, Dijon

mustard, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne and black pepper until fully mixed.

Butter one side of each slice of bread.

Place the bread butter-side down and spread a generous layer of the pimento cheese mixture over the top.

Scatter over the crispy bacon and sliced jalapeños.

Add a little extra grated cheddar if you're feeling particularly hungry.

Arrange the toasts in the air fryer basket in a single layer.

Air fry for 6–8 minutes, until the bread is crisp underneath and the cheese is bubbling, lightly browned and

beginning to caramelise around the edges.

Finish with chopped chives, crispy onions or a drizzle of hot honey if using.

Serve immediately while the cheese is molten and stretching with every bite.

Lad Tip: Let the cheese bubble until little golden spots appear around the edges. That's where the proper smokehouse flavour starts. Pull them too early and you'll miss the best bit.

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