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! 😂
One thing I just noticed was, when I tabbed to go to the Comment box, I was taken to the top of the recipe again, so that’ll probably be considered a blooper. The new look is great – I like the font – crisp and clean! My comment was able to be submitted, so I was able to add this last sentence. It took a LONG time to get to the error page, too. Trying again.
Sorry, my comment was NOT able to be submitted the first time. And, using the tab button to get to the comment box took me to the top again.
Love the new website and your recipes too❤️
Hello Nagi your new website is great very easy to navigate, pictures are great, you did really good, thank you for everything
The new website is beautiful. The larger print and photos are a boon to aging eyes.
Nagi, the website looks great! You’ve become my go-to when I need a good recipe – thank you! And I love Dozer…Happy Holidays to you both!!
Absolutely adore the new website – the layout, the categories and all. The glitch I found was from the email that you sent – if you clicked on the title Italian Cheese Log – I came here; if I clicked on the image I was taken to the recipe for Greek Chicken. Both look like fabulous recipes!!
i’m excited to try this. You continue to; make the recipes easy to follow, especially for a non-cook like me. All I’ve tried so far have been delicious. Thank you. Linda
I loved the old website, but this upgrade is very nice. Clean, Great don’t. Easy navigation. Happy Holidays!
Nagi. Thanks so much for the new website. It’s brilliant. Very easy to find delicious recipes. Thanks again and good luck.
Happy for your updated website. It comes up 2 different ways on my mac/Safari – one version has 3 recipes across the top, followed by a blue bar, then you smiling face and the newest recipe. The other way seems to have you and the latest recipe on top tier. I much prefer the second way – be cause then I know I’m in the right place! FYI: made your Greek Meatballs for lunches this week.
Thanks for entering me into the knife contest!
Pat
Luv your old website and the new one is even better…keep up the wonderful work for you are truly and inspiration!
please pat and kiss Dozer for me!
The new website is awesome!
Awesome recipes that I look forward to getting all the time. So pleased Dozer will now have his own page. Love following his doings.❤️❤️❤️
I’m over the moon that you posted this Italian Cheese loaf. I’m invited to 2 Christmas parties which are back to back and needed something tasty but could keep with no last minute heating etc. for my second party. Opened my email and there you were. Thanks appreciate it. Love the layout of your new website. It’s crisp and clean and focuses your eyes on the finished product. We do eat with our eyes first. Thanks. Love your recipes.
Hi Nagi. Absolutely love the new website and the latest recipe – Italian Cheese Log is one for this Christmas at our house!
I am overseas at the moment so won’t qualify for the entry but thank you for a year of wonderful recipes and those great videos.
Season’s Greetings and a happy 2019 ahead. Di
I cannot believe how delicious this recipe is. Honestly, I could eat it for breakfast!
The new site looks very clean and streamlined. I was having some delay scrolling down the page but couldn’t say if that was a site issue or my tablet. Keep the fab recipes coming! Merry Christmas.
I like the new website look. Though it takes a bit time to get used to the new look.
I always love your recipes. Keep up the good work girl!
Love the new site. Easy to “manipulate” through it and find even more recipes to try.
Love new website..looking forward to new recipes
This recipe looks yummy 😊
Hi Nagi, I just love your new Website and most of all, all the recipes I have tried turned out to be simple and fantastic. Keep up the good work. Merry Xmas.