Kick off the holidays with this festive Christmas Appetiser – an Italian Cheese Log! It’s like an antipasto platter in dip form packed with minced salami, olives, peppers, green onions, a hefty dose of Italian seasonings, AND topped with sun dried tomato.
Terrific easy, make-ahead economical alternative to expensive cheese platters – and bursting with the holiday cheer!!!
A FESTIVE CHRISTMAS APPETIZER IDEA!
Bringing on some Christmas cheer with this festive Italian Cheese Log!!
It’s a far cry from your usual cheeseball with a handful of token flavourings. This one is jam packed with flavour…. loaded with Italian flavours!!
The secret ingredients in this are finely chopped salami and sun dried tomato. Taking the time to mince the salami really makes a difference because then it’s all throughout the cheese log – nobody wants to be that person who takes a giant scoop of dip only to find it’s completely devoid of salami!
As for the sun dried tomato – well, I contemplated putting it in the cheese log, but I simply couldn’t resist how great it looks when piled on top. Add a few sprigs of rosemary, and it just looks so fabulously festive – it’s a perfect Christmas appetiser for sharing!! 🎄🎄🎄
WHY YOU NEED THIS IN YOUR LIFE!
It would be so easy to ramble on and on about how great this Italian Cheese Log is, but you don’t need that. So let me just get right down to why you’ll love this!!
✅ Looks fabulous – a great Christmas appetiser made for sharing!
✅ Tastes incredible – packed with flavour!
✅ Easy
✅ Make ahead – keeps for up to a week*
✅ Makes loads
✅ But can also be scaled down
✅ Economical alternative to expensive cheese platters
✅ Adaptable and versatile! Skip the salami to make it meatless, change up the add ins!
* Subject to shelf life of salami
AN ANTIPASTO PLATTER – IN CHEESE LOG FORM!
I just love the colours in this. Even making it brings on the holiday cheer – look at all those colours! ↑↑↑
We’ve got salami, olives, chargrilled peppers (I like to use the jar with mixed colours – yellow and red – just for extra colour), cheese, and a nice hit of freshness from minced green onion.
Add a good dose of Italian seasonings – I like to make my own simple mix here but you can absolutely substitute with an Italian seasoning mix – then simply mix it all together, scrap into a loaf pan or freeform it into the shape of a log and refrigerate.
The refrigeration time is to firm it up so it can be turned out onto a platter and also to give it time for the flavours to meld. It’s terrific made on the day, but it’s even better the next day… and the next… and the next!
QUICK FESTIVE LOOK
Decorating it is my favourite part – the beauty of it being that it’s so easy!! I literally just dump an entire jar of sun dried tomatoes over the top – oil and all.
The oil is infused with flavour and it’s part of the overall eating experience. So with every bite, you have crisp salty crackers, the soft flavour packed Cheese Log, some extra pops of flavour from sun dried tomato AND juiciness from the sun dried tomato oil.
Ahhhh, it’s the perfect bite!!! 😇
If your people are more civilised than mine, then consider serving this Italian Cheese Log with small cheese knifes to spread onto crackers.
But if your people are like mine, you’ll skip the cutlery and just let everyone dive in with their hands, grabbing crackers and dunking it straight into the cheese log.
Yep, it’ll get messy. All that effort you go to, prettying it up and they are going to annihilate it.
And that’s totally ok. That’s what sharing food is all about, right?? Especially during the festive season! 😂 – Nagi x
MORE CHRISTMAS APPETISER IDEAS!
CHRISTMAS APPETISER – ITALIAN CHEESE LOG!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Christmas Appetiser: Italian Cheese Loaf
Ingredients
Cheese Log:
- 500g/ 1 lb cream cheese , softened (Note 1)
- 1/3 cup sour cream (Note 2)
- 1/2 tsp EACH thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary, black pepper OR 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp EACH garlic powder, salt, red pepper/chilli flakes (adjust to taste)
- 2 cup cheddar or other cheese , freshly grated (Note 3)
- 280g / 9 oz roasted peppers , drained and finely chopped
- 180g / 6 oz salami , finely chopped (Note 4)
- 3/4 cup green olives , finely chopped
- 1/3 cup green onion , finely minced (3 – 4 stalks)
Topping/serving:
- 220g / 7 oz sun dried tomato strips with OIL , roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley , finely chopped (or chives)
- Rosemary sprigs (decoration)
- Jatz or other crackers , for serving
Instructions
- Spray a loaf pan with oil then line with cling wrap with overhang.
- Mix Cheese Log ingredients together. Taste and adjust salt if needed (bear in mind saltiness of crackers you are serving with).
- Scrape into loaf pan and level surface, pressing to remove air pockets. Smaller pan = taller loaf.
- Cover with cling wrap overhang and refrigerate for 4 hours+ (up to 1 week).
- Turn out onto platter, peel off cling wrap.
- Top with sun dried tomato and pour over oil. Garnish with parsley and rosemary sprigs to give it a festive look.
- Best to serve closer to room temp than fridge cold. Serve with crackers! Knives for smearing optional – it’s soft enough to scoop with crackers.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Cute Christmassy photos of Dozer is all part of the Christmas tradition. Except…… he fell asleep mid photo shoot! 😂
The new layout is marvelous, Nagi! Very clean and easy to navigate.
The new site is gorgeous. Photos beautiful, love the bold type and organization, so nice for clarity. Thank you
Loving the new website. This recipe looks awesome.
Will try….
Your new website really pops! So crisp and sparkling! Love it!! 🎉
I love your recipes! This cheese log will fit right in with my holiday menu! I love your new website… the pictures pop right off the page. Congratulations!
The site looks great, Nagi! Congratulations!
Your new format is bright and easy to read (except when you use white letters on a pale background like on this recipe. Also a typo in main recipe “scrap the cheese log into a loaf pan”. I’m sure you meant scrape. Great images. Love the life of Dozer section. I pass on all your recipes to my wife and sons as they all love to cook.
Nagi to the rescue again. Love love love many of your recipes. This cheese log was a hit with the family.
From the Lone Star State to you in Australia…your website has been one of my favs for years and it is even better now! Whether on my phone or my computer I can’t tell you how many of your recipes I’ve used, printed, saved, or given to my daughters and friends…and how many raves I get when I prepare one of those recipes. The raves go to you…love, love the videos! And your wonderful sense of humor and warmth. Love, love the diversity of recipes and the creativeness you bring. I and many of my family are gluten free but your recipes are kind enough even to consider that in your explanations! I know I’m rambling, but I’ve touted you for so long to others it’s now time to tell you. Many thanks for making dinner more than just ‘one more meal’…it has become a delightful dining experience…so much so we’d rather eat in than go out. Merry Christmas to you, your mother and Dozer. Can’t wait to see more of your delicious creations.
The Italian Cheeselog is on my list for Christmas! Looks amazing!
The new website is great!
Hi Nagi. My comment didn’t show I wonder if it went thru. Just to make sure I am in.
I can’t find my comment. I’m not sure why it didn’t go through…anyway I loved your old website Nagi but this new one is even better! It’s just easier on the eyes, if you know what I mean. Also, I LOVE the colors; this blue I’d now my favorite color! What is it called?
I love all your recipes so much! ….And Dozer. I have to confess. ❤️ him! The Christmas picture was adorable. Keep up the good work! (all of it 😉
Oops…ment “is now my favorite color”
…auto correct.
Love the new look! It’s much easier to find the recipes. I will try this Cheese log for Christmas! Thank you.
Love your new site! Oh and the photography is always amazing. This appetizer is a must try for my party this weekend. Thank you Nagi!
I was here 7 hours ago and saw this new look & thought my laptop was hacked. Lol
New website is fantastically colourful makes me want to live in my kitchen! Enticing to cook everything in it! And this cheese log a must try!
Love the new design. So colorful and easy to navigate!
Love the new look. Very helpful to have pics of everything, so I recognise even if I can’t remember the recipe title. Love Dozer of course.
Your new website is AMAZING!!!!
FANTASTIC PHOTOGRAPHY AND SO MANY RECIPES TO MAKE. YOUR SELECTION OF RECEIPES PRETTY MUCH COVERS HOW I COOK. THANK YOU