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, Love your recipes & new website!!!!
Hi Nagi,
I like your new site, and your approach to cooking. I made your Ragu for a dinner party, and everyone wanted the recipe. I’ll give this Italian Cheese Log a try.
Cheers,
Tom
wow, this cheese log looks amazing!
love your new website and Dozer is adorable!
WOW! Your new site is beautiful and the Dozer button is perfect! I so enjoy your site and have made several of your recipes for my hubby (I have to watch the carbs and sugar) who has enjoyed them all.. You remind me so much of my lovely daughter-in-law. You both have such a phenomenal outlook on life and a fantastic smile. Congrats on the new site!
Love your new website and love all of the recipes I have made that you have provided. Keep up the good work!
I love your recipes! I love your Mom’s recipes! And I miss Dozer when he’s not pictured. He is the most patient of babies!
Aaannnddd congrats on the new website. I was able to search for recipes with ease, and considering it’s the Holidays, I’ve been able to find a number of recipes to make for parties. A big thank you for that. 🤗
HELLO Nagi I love this recipe! I will try it for sure. I was just searching for something for Christmas eve dinner and Christmas lunch because I want to try something new. I did your fish pie for Easter and it was a big hit, even if so far from tradition ( I’m italian). And… I like this new website. the categories are great!
I want some kind of ”vie de chien”. I know how to bark, my favourite football team is named Red Dogs. Are you hire me as a taster, no salary?
Seriously, may I make your recepies in Romania? How much I must pay if I”ll do a catering company based on your recepies? I”ll name it Nagi Maehashi, if you agree.
All the best with your new website.
Hey Nagi,
LOVE the new website! It’s so sleek and streamlined. Checked a bunch of recipe links and they all work, Kudos to you for your continued help with us Kitchen Plebes. And the cheese log is brilliant! I’m always eager to get a weekly surprise in my inbox when you publish your newsletter. Ciao Cioa! (from a Toronto, Canada)
I love the new site – it is so open and accessible. I love great cheese logs and balls so I’ll be making this as soon as possible. THANK YOU
The new website is really fresh and pleasant. Congrats.
Love the new website. And good to see Dozer again
WOW! Did not think your site could get any better. Love the new look. Have made so many of your recipes, thanks again for all your tips and instructions.
Fantastically delicious!😍
Love you dear lady! Every recipe of yours I’ve tried have been great! Please enter me in the Japanese knife giveaway! I adore Dozer and your wonderful itty bitty hands…I have them too!
Loving the new website! Especially the easy nav at the top to comments and recipes and such. Also like that you’ve got a Christmas recipes tab!
Thanks for all your hard work Nagi. Your website is my go to.
Love this site!!!! All the visuals step by step are great……easy access to other recipes and suggestions visually make you want to explore new ideas….all your stuff is great and I have total confidence in any of your recipes…Thank you so much ….everything I’ve tried is super and just keep adding to my favorites!
Hi Nagi🙋🏻
Great job on the new website!!! It really is beautiful and encourages me to try more of your recipes. I have shared a few of them with positive feedback. Love the videos too; so helpful, thorough ;leaves no guesswork.
Thanks for making my time in the kitchen enjoyable and entertaining, thanks to Dozer. 😉
Website looks great. Food looks amazing. Thanks
I have done many of your recipes and have liked them all. I will definity try this appetizer.. I do like your new web site. Thanks Shiela