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! 😂
Love the new web site and can’t wait to try this and more from your site.
Making this as a Christmas gift for my favorite neighbor.
Looks really good.
Some features of the new website I love are: 1)Only quick & easy recipes 2) Recipe collections 3) By category. Thank you Nagi for your hard work in creating this amazing website.
Hi Nagi. The new site will take some getting used to. Your other site was beautiful. I will support you no matter what your site looks like! Happy Holidays. xo
Hi
I think your new website is much beautiful, clear, bright and easy to follow.
I love the new look! Being able to see more recipes at a glance or categories will make finding what I want to make (e.g. something to bring to a party) a lot easier.
Nagi, Good morning! You probably don’t remember me, but I’m the Truck Driver lady in Texas. You and I have been ‘kitchen friends’ for a very long time now. I retired from driving for a while and now have the precious time to actually make your awe inspiring recipes and visit Dozer! Give him kisses and hugs for me! I had comment and say, I absolutely love your new webpage design! Now, to go and hang out a while and discover how, what and where! I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I most certainly will! Love Texas Re-tired Big Rig Driver, Marsha You just make me happy to see every morning in my email messages! Merry Christmas and Bless you, Dozer and your precious lil’ momma!
Your food is wonderful and I’m glad Dozer has his own page!
Fancy new website, I love it and the recipes!
can hardly wait to try this yummy looking receipe! Love the new website too.
Very pleasant to the eye.
BEAUTIFUL! Love the colours and the new tabs!
The new website is fantastic! Easy to navigate!
All your receipes look fantastic and I always look forward to receiving. The new and IMPROVED website is awesome.
Love the new website. Love this cheese dip! It sounds amazing. I will definitely be trying this for Christmas with some of the vegetarian options listed.
Interesting cheese log. I will be adding it to this year’s nibble table.
Wow …looks great. Very cleandedign
Love the new functionality of the website. Links to recipe, videos and Doozer are great.
Was looking for something different to serve for Christmas appetizer. This looks delicious!
Nagi, Love it, speedy opening of web page, well placed photos and a section on:
“Japanese Eating Etiquette”
I have had a great deal of fortune in my life, living in Japan for two years was the highlight. My son is coming home from medical school and will be making a Capon, but I really need a dependable chefs knife to be proper. Your menus I forward to him daily, and appreciates as I a love to cook.
Have no idea how you came into my life, but you and Dozer have educated me by taking me back to Japan, 1970 – 1972, Yokota Air Base Customs and Border Clearance.
Sincerely,
Raymond Dextras