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! 😂
Hi Naggy! Wonderful makeover of your site, it looks fresh, brand new, maybe missing the old theme, but changes are always welcome. On comments section, website field is required, what about people that what to comment but have no site?
Congratulations!!
Absolutely love Dozer’s page, he is beautiful, Enjoy the updates about him immensely.
Love the new website, Thanks Nagi
This new web design is clean, easy to navigate and personal which makes it a pleasure to visit. The recipes, stories, photos and nutritional information make creating new recipes for my family and friends doable!
I am looking forward to creating this mouth watering cheese log over the holidays.
Love Dozer.
Oh my, this is on my must-do list for Christmas and/or NYE.
As for Dozer… alternative between laughter and heart melting 😂❤️. Didn’t you just want to snuggle up next to him?
Love the new site. I clicked through to your All Party Food link and it was all so beautifully laid out I could practically smell the food!
I’m going to use your recipe for prime rib for Christmas!
I love the clean look of the new website and this delicious appetiser is spot on. Definitely making this!
Ohhhh! I’m excited for the new recipe catalog! I actually just made a “Recipe Tin Eats” Pinterest board to find all of your recipes easily, haha. There is only one other food blogger I have done that for because between the two of you… I have all my no-fail food needs covered! Thank you for all of the recipes, tips, and the giveaway.
Love your new website. most impressed how organised it is & how easy to find my way around it. Well done, Nagi. Love your recipes!!! Happy Christmas to you & Dozer
I like the new website though I was fine with the old one. What initially attracted me to your site were the Japanese recipes which we really like. Would enjoy seeing them occasionally.
These photos are incredible, did you get a new camera?
Love the new site!
That Italian Cheese Log looks awesome, and so does the knife. 🙂
Hi Nagi! LOVE the new site! It’s very easy and quick to navigate, loads extremely fast, and it’s great to see direct links to things like your One Pot meals vs Fast Meals – and the link to your Mother’s website is very appreciated. She has some great recipes too!
Also love to see that Dozer has a category all his own, such a love he is! So, the new website hits all the marks.
This recipe, passes them all. 🙂
Have a smurfy day!
Hi Nagi.
Love your new website…so bright and full of inspirations.
Wow what a great Xmas present, I have been saving every Recipe from day one in my email file, but found it hard to Catalog. Because I work out of town for 7 days I then search and Catalog emails you sent me for that week but now I can just search and cook for my Family, Love your work.
Regards
Bob Kapitz
Love the new recipe categories! Sometimes you just want to see all the pasta 🙂
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Love love love the new website format. Means I can find any recipe so simply now. Well done Nagi 🙂
My people are definitely uncivilized, we would dive right in with our crackers! LOL I love the new site, Nagi. It’s fresh and clean, it’s also easy to see where everything is located. 🙂
Had no real issues with the old site other than trying to find past reciepies. The new site seems more user friendly for someone like my self who thrives on simplicity
My favorite website just got better.
Congrats! You know me I usually comment after I’ve made a recipe…But the giveaway looks amazing!