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 cheese so I am going to have to make the log for our family dinner
The new website is way better.
Thanks for all the great recipes
Wow! This site was an already amazing recipe resource. Now it has such a classy upgrade! Congratulations Nagi! It’s beautiful.
Your new site looks lovely. Great job. I want to rush off and make every recipe now.
This is all good. So easy to see and read and, most important, find your recipes. I like the Dozer area too!
Nagi I love your new website and your recipes. Great job and Merry Christmas 🎄
Website looks amazing!! Looking forward to trying some of these recipes over the holidays!!
Really like the set-up of your new, up and coming website! It is easy to navigate and makes it really easy to find recipes!
Nagi–I was perfectly happy with your former website–but the new one is indeed even better. I find the Collections section especially inspiring! And about that scrumptious looking cheese log, do you think spicy chorizo (the dry-cured kind) could replace the salami? It’s usually easier to find in my neck of the woods (or should I say ‘canals,’ as I’m in Holland?) than salami is.
LOVE the new web design! 😉
Love the recipe and new website look. At the very top, the bar offering 3 ebooks, covers something else? Therwise I suggest a link near the top that allows a search for? Good job. Love the cheese log.
Beautiful appetizer……craving this! Love the new look of your site. Merry Christmas!
This sounds delicious and simple to make!
Your website looks fabulous. I like the drop-down menu to locate recipes by types. The photos look tempting and makes me want to try each of them. I will definitely bookmark your website! Thank you for your delicious recipes!
Wow! The website was already an amazing resource….now it has a wonderfuly classy upgrade. Congratulations Nagi!! It’s beautiful.
The Cheese Loaf looks and sounds like a great appetizer for the holiday’s or anytime of the year. Will definitely make it. Love the new web site and Dozer is adorable! Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year!
well I guess we all agree, terrific site. Love all you do and Dozer too. (that rhymes). We are having an Italian Christmas this year(cuz we’re Italian) and I think this recipe will be the hit of the part, thanks Nagi Happy Holidays,
The website looks great although it is the recipes I come for. This looks great, was looking for cheese appetizer to make for holidays. Thank you and Merry Christmas
Hey Nagi,
I think the new website looks great. Keep up the good work.
Nice new website, clean and fresh (I liked the old site too – my favourite!). All your recipes have been winners at our house. Keep up the good work. Sorry, but I always look for the Dozer pic first.
I love your new website (although I also liked the original). Thanks for the new recipe. I was just starting to think about what to take to a gathering next weekend and this will be perfect!
What a great recipe to debut your new website. The pages are clean and easier on the eye. Thank you for this and my daily Dozer fix. Congratulations!