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! 😂
Loving the new website, especially being able to search under category headings. This is definitely going to be a recipe for this Xmas!!!!
A old friend of mine past away two years ago and she use to make a lovely cheese log. I have tried many time to make it But could never get it to taste like hers. Thanks for your log recipe. Will be making it this weekend
Your recipes always make want to reach in and try them and the videos make it so much easier to make sure mine looks (I hope) like yours. Thanks Nagi 🙂
Love your new website, so easy to find different categories and it brought a smile to my face to see the photos of you in the pool in the middle of the Christmas Recipes!!
Very easy to get around the new website, discover new recipes and find Dozer. Thank you for the notes at the end of your recipes – they are always filled with helpful information. I always look forward to your posts.
Nagi, LOVE the new website, Very easy to see all the recipes, the photographs are vivid and awesome, and of course love the expanded section on Dozer. Thanks for sharing all of your Recipes (and your Mom’s).
New website looks great! Love the filter “Only Quick and Easy.” Also love the search bar at the top of the page as well as the bottom of the page. My only concern is the color tint of the text in search and comment. It’s the same color as they are in “default” so it seems like it still needs to be filled/typed when it’s already been. (Usually placeholder text is a lightly colored, like 50% black, and when you fill it, it becomes 100% black). The Leave a comment box is an example. Name, email, and website placeholder text is dark, but when I’m filling it, it becomes light gray (making it a bit hard to read).
This recipe looks perfect for Christmas and I will definitely be giving it a go! The new website looks great but I think in my phone it wasn’t clear how to navigate … when I went up to the top left menu, it was much easier to search .
Hello Nagi!
First thing I saw with the new website was your new logo /symbol/crest which I really love, it reminds me of Japan which I really love!
Thanks for all of your continued hard work with creating recipes and organising them – the new amount of categories is great.
I love the new layout! Poor Dozer, too tired for photos! I’m going to try the cheese loaf for the weekend before Christmas when I get together with my sisters to wrap gifts.
Very slick. Color and font makes it easy to read. Good job!
Nagi, congrats on the beautiful new website! I navigated here, there and everywhere and it all worked beautifully. I agree that the soft grey font could be a tad darker, but this is only cosmetic. Thank you for all your gorgeous recipes. You are the invisible guest at our table most nights, my husband always asking “Is this one of Nagi’s?” May you enjoy a wonderful Christmas and New Year with those close to you. Looking forward to more exciting cooking adventures next year.
I love your new website but most importantly all of your delicious recipes! Thanks for your hard work which makes my life easier and tastier!
Love the new website look. Fab recipe, and of course Dover is awesome. Merry Christmas and a wonderful festive season. Of course wishing you all the best for a successful, happy, healthy fun filled 2019. Jilly
Loving your new layout, easy on the eyes and easy to peruse! Have been following your recipes for a good few years now, and it never fails, always a crowd pleaser! Thank you very much 🙂
Website looks very fresh! Love the new buttons taking you directly to the recipe. Your meals are regularly on our dining table.
Shiny! The new website is like your gift to us! Love the festive photos of you and Dozer 😂
Nagi
this Christmas recipe looks ideal for a party and I cant wait to try it out.
I love the new look and have always loved your recipes – i try every one and they always work. Your stir fry sauce is always in my fridge. You are the go to person for cooking!!
This looks delicious! Can wait to make it this holiday…:)
The new site is so bright and open and easy to use. Thanks for this recipe too. Something the whole family will devour!!