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
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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! 😂
Congratulations Nagi on a great new look.
Nagi, this looks spectacular! Have added it to my Christmas day treats. Love the new website, so fresh, easy to read and easy to use. It is so easy to find my fav recipes like your Pork Carnitas and Blueberry Lemon Yoghurt Cake. Love the related posts feature and that Dozer has his own space. Love your work Nagi. Thanks for making every one think I am a good cook!
Beautiful! Love your new and updated name design 🙂
I love the function where you can click to have only quick and easy! (because that’s why I come here!)
Nice. You outdid yourself.
Website looks great and this recipe looks fabulous – will definitely make it for the festive season.
Love the new website, especially the cataloguing, It’s easier to find recipes
New website is easier to scan, seeing exactly what part of the recipe I want. I find myself using your recipes more than any other from on-line sources and a shelf of well-known cookbooks. Thank you.
Love your new website!
The new website looks great, and I love that dozer has his own section!
Love the new website, was a tad concerned with the larger font that I would have trouble importing to my favourite digital recipe app, but all worked perfectly. Categories are great, though I do think the ‘request a recipe’ section should have its own special link on the home page.
Love today’s recipe, I will certainly be trying this. Love all your recipes x
Merry Xmas to you, your family & Dozer 🙂
PS I just noticed the ‘rate a recipe’ on the comment window, great idea!
First, I love the new site in format and options. I even found your delight in dozer to encouraging to me. We humans are better when owned by animals. I am the manager of our home owned by our two cats. hahaha
I’m also excited about the Japanese site link, and your continued diligence for good eats.
The cheese log here is something I know we will be making for our family’s Xmas dinner gathering.
I love this site. Wonderful recipes and I have tried several. One was the Chicken Masala. OMG, delicious. Every year I make a new spread at Christmas and can’t wait to try this Antipasta log. All my friends and family will love this. I’ll have to make two!
Just a lovely post. Am entertaining Sunday and this will be a beautiful addition. Thank you so much.
P.S. Love the new font
New Website looks great, will be using heaps. Thanks
I love the new look! I really like the tab options to go directly to the recipe/video when necessary. Thanks for all the great recipes! I’m looking forward to trying this cheese loaf recipe over Christmas.
Bigger, brighter, better! Love the new layout….makes me feel like I am right there with you! In particular I like the “note” section…I sometimes find myself wondering if other items can be used etc when reading the recipe and watching the video…and then…voila…your notes answer all my questions! Great job in enhancing an already great website. WH
Great quality pictures. Very easy to follow directions.
Love the new website! Love your recipes. Can you also please put in the Kilojoules in the Nutrition label?
Love the new website Nagi! Merry Christmas 🎄