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! 😂
Your new look is great, has a very cohesive look!
Also can’t wait to try the cheese log, going to a party this weekend so I’ll be taking it there!
Love the new design!
Color scheme, layout, — it’s so easy now!
Also Love your recipes!
They used ingredients I have on hand – perfect 😃‼️
Waa I’ve never seen anything like it before but it looks scrumptious! I love anything with sundried tomatoes 🙂 like the new website. Definitely a different look…kinda actually like the old layout with the green logo, sorry. Ps. your new profile picture looks great and dozer looks so cute like always!
Not sure Dozer should always be last. Sometimes I open your daily emails just to see what he is up to. A dog’s life is really tough!
Love the new design. It’s colorful, it grabs you and the layout helps remind me what’s on your site. Congratulations!
I LOVE the new layout. Love, also, your recipes. I am making your salmon with lemon cream sauce for Christmas – requested by all of our children.
The website looks great Nagi! You are my go to cooking blog and I use your recipes all the time but I am guilty of not leaving comments! I am making your Homemade Gourmet Crackers again this weekend, they are amazing, and this cheese log looks a perfect fit for them at Christmas!
Very attractive website. The pictures just pop!
Very nice new site. I like all your recipe (and your dog) Thank you
I like the new site design. Simple, yet appealing. And ohmigosh Nagi how do u always take food pics that make me want to lick my screen, they look so good?? 🤤😅
Always looking for a delicious and easy appetizer – the Italian Cheese Log looks like it will fit the bill! Your new website looks clean and is easy to navigate – thank you!
Kudos on your new website design, Nagi. The presentation of the recipes is even more inspirational; I am excited to try recipes that previously didn’t interest me. I wanted to send compliments to your food photographer and then I discovered that you are she! Photos are beautiful. The website is now comparable to a fancy, expensive cookbook. Incredible that Recipetineats is everything I want in a cookbook, and it’s just waiting for me online at not cost. Love it 😍. Thank you, Nagi 👍
This looks delicious! Also love the new website design. Nothing better than a good recipe organization system to find what you need!
Oh wow Nagi! I love the new layout…now I just scout around and almost instantly get where I want to be…this cheese log is on my Christmas menu for sure! Looks divine! And very handy that you’re also down under in the heat so we can copy your amazing festive menus! I wish you success in all you do, I started following you when I stumbled across recipetineats….my mom had an actual cake tin for her special recipes and we used to tease her about it…now that she’s no longer with us we still have the tin and am going to put them all together in a file format.
May your day be special and festive…Much love, Lindi South Africa
I just love the new and improved web site! Easier to read and I like the lay-out. Keep you delicious recipes coming, I haven’t tried one that we didn’t like.
Hi Nagi and Dozer. Love the new layout! Very simple to navigate and easy on the eye. I can’t wait to continue reading and trying all of your lovely recipes in the new year. Merry Christmas 🎄🤶
Thanks Nagi! love your recipes! And the new site looks good too!
New site really pops. Love your recipes and looking forward to exploring the new website
Love the new look, recipes are easier to find in this layout…..and beautiful pics !!
And love Dozer too❤️
Nagi number one!!! Great job on the beautiful, user-friendly website. Love scrolling snd drooling.