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! 😂
Nagi! Your updated website is so fresh and tastefully ( pun intended ;0) ) done!
I have made several of your recipes and always enjoy how they are bursting with flavor! And your photography often leaves my mouth watering. =D
Greetings, Nagi, from the great state of Michigan! Thank you for posting this delicious looking recipe. Family party this Sunday and I was looking for something new to try for the holidays. Love anything to do with cheese, so I’m sure this will be a hit. I love the look of the new sight and the fact that your Dozer is your right hand man. I have a few four-legged wannabe sous chefs and photo bombers too! I don’t think I could manage in the kitchen without them!
Loved your site before, now it’s even better, especially with Dozer’s own button. Only suggestion I can make: is it possible to add a ‘download’ button to each recipe???
Love the new look! Recipe fonts are easier and more uniform to read. The pics are cleaner, bigger, clearer and look more appetizing then ever! I enjoy your site! I have made many of your recipes and those are now some of my family’s favorite dishes! Can’t wait to create this amazing appetizer!
Love it !!!
This is sooo much better! I love the way it’s organized and the ability to see more available recipes at one tome. Will you still have the recipes from your Mother? I’m so glad you kept “the Life of Dozer”, At first I thought it was gone. Great design! So functional! Thank you
Company is coming Saturday for a big party and this is a perfect appetizer.
Your new website is beautiful, I am envious.
I love your recipes. I have made many of them, & some have become a household must at my house. This recipe looks amazing! I’m going to make it for Christmas potluck at my work!😊
That is truly the most deliciously appealing cheese log I’ve ever come across, and will be served several times over the next few weeks! I’ll be making some for us, and also making mini-logs to give to other people, too. Love the combo of every ingredient, and know others will, also. They’ll be getting a print of your website recipe with it, also!
Website upgrade–excellent! Two thumbs up!
Hi Nagi, love your website and receipes. The new site looks great! it’s very clean and bright.
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Love the new website!
Nagi I have loved every recipe of yours that I have tried and after looking at the new site setup I can see it will be even easier to browse through it to find new recipes. I look forward to trying the Italian Cheese Log recipe in time for New Year’s Eve. Hope you have a very,very Merry Christmas!
Love the eye-popping photos on the new site! And this recipe is just what I needed-we always do tapas on Christmas Eve and I wanted a good cheesy make-ahead thing that was also fabulous. Thanks!
Love the new site! Also loving your recipes and Dozer!
This looks fantastic! Can’t go wrong with cheese and salami
Love the simplicity of your recipes.
Your photos of the recipes look delicious, Dozer is ADORABLE and I think you’re “baby” hands are cute! You would be a blast to hang out with too! 😘
Love the new design! Very user friendly!
LOOKING GOOD!!!
Stunning ! Easier to navigate and bigger text
Grouping makes it easier to find too
Well done on innovation and keeping up
i tried many of your recipe and they are great! Your stir fry sauce is long time favorite in my house. I cook a lot and the knife you are giving away is amazing!