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 love love your new website. So much easier now to find your fantastic recipes. So looking forward to making this recipe for my Christmas visitor.s.
Your recipes are awesome. I have tried each one of them.
Quick easy and delicious.
I am so happy that you have introduced a great website which I have been waiting for. Thanks Nagi.
Hi I like to cook,good thing too as i cook for just me.
Yours is the only cooking site i subscribe to ,i fine the recipes
‘worth the squeeze. Not overly complicated , many of them are quick as well .The new site well as it helps chase down a recipe then Good.
Cheers Len
You have made me love cooking again and your web site Looks awesome
The new website format looks amazing! This cheese log will be perfect to take to my friend’s annual Nibble n Nosh Party.
I’ll be off to the grocery store tomorrow to buy several of the ingredients needed to make this scrumptious looking log. What a find for the holidays!Every recipe I’ve made from your website has been a success, and my family will love this one too. Any particular crackers you recommend? XX and hugs for Dozer.
Love the new look!
Oh and today’s recipe sounds awesome!
Looks yummy! I really do like the look of the new website! 😍. Very crisp and clean!
I love this!
Anything cheese and I’m a fan, this makes me all kinds of hungry!
The website looks great, must have taken a lot of work. I like the look of it, The website looks and feels professional – well done!
Love, love the new website. Easy to browse through. An definitely making this cheese log!!
Hello Nagi! I visited your website for recipes simply because you always appear on my Google searches. However, checking your recipes has progressed from just random recipe results to a trusted source for really good food. You are really awesome for sharing your food knowledge and for your practical tips. That being said, I liked the color scheme of the old website but what’s great with the new one is the category section which makes it easier to browse through recipes. I’ll get used to the new look. Change is always good. Thank you for what you do because you are a blessing! Cheers! Merry Christmas!
Hi Nagi,
I have been your constant follower and have been trying some of your recipes and family loves it. I am a working mom so I really tried to give them special menu ona weekend and your recipe is a great help. I also love the Japanese recipe of your mom. The new look in your website is kinda fresh look and I could say it somewhat clearer. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Hi Nagi, Love the look of your website nice and bright and your recipes look so yummy as usual I have been following you for ages love your recipes and also love Dozer!
Loved it very easy to use.
I only discovered this site on instagram two days ago and I’m in love with everything about it. I love the site, the ebooks, the tips I have at least a hundred recipe books but this one site will make my life so easy and my meals so joyful.
The new website must have taken a lot of work! The recipes organized in categories that provide so many options is awesome! I like the quick and easy filter, did a lot of thinking, not sure if that was a bug, using my phone too so that could a reason. Overall excited to use as I have been printing many of the recipes and the new website gives me confidence I can find again quickly! Congratulations!
Recipe is the bomb & so is your new website.
This cheese log looks really yummy. The recipe organizing is much better.
The new website looks fresh, and I find the font of the text easier to read. Love the Dozer button!
I want to make this cheese log for Christmas now – will be meatless as my other half does not do pork products (not cultural or religious but due to a bad experience with a pork product while sick once).
It looks so decadent and fancy yet it’s so easy to make. Definitely a party pleaser. It’s saved for my party recipes (year around). Also, I love that you include the quick instructional videos. It’s very helpful for us visual people. Thanks Nagi xo
Btw, I love the new website and having Dozer included in it, is a perk 😉