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! 😂
I’m going to bring this to the party I’m attending this weekend. I love the new look of the site but most of all, I love your recipes. You are my go to. 🙂
Website makes my mouth water every time I log in!
I like the new fresh look to your website. I’ve always loved your writing style, beautiful photos and videos (always made things look so delicious and appetizing). Time to explore the Christmas Recipes and start planning the meal. Happy Holidays Nagi, Dozer and Family. From: Sandi Morimoto (no relation to Iron Chef Morimoto, teehee)
The new website is great and makes it much easier to navigate your awesome recipes.
I love the flavors, except olives. But I think it would still taste fabulous without them!
Site looks great! Happy Holidays to you and Dozer! Barb
The new website looks great!
Every recipe I try from you works out so well… love the recipe notes. I am in Canada so we cannot get some ingredients, so substitutes are always helpful.
Keep up the good work Nagi!
LOVE the look and the set up of the new website!!! Great job:)
Great recipe and I’m anxious to try it. Also nice improvement to your web site.
Hi Nagy, loving the new look, very easy to find whatever one is searching. Keep those beautiful and delicious recipes coming.
Checked out the new website, everything looks so yummy!!! Your food photos always inspire me to try something new… thx from my family😉
The new website looks great! Very clean and easy to use. I like it.
Great website, better recipes and BEST is Dozer!
Love the new design!
Fantastic recipe and perfect new website Nagi thank you so much for your devotion to us as your recipients Xx
Nagi,
Recipe looks delicious. I like the new website. Very easy on the eyes. Keep up the good work.
I love the new site! So far, I haven’t found any glitches. The forms are so much easier on the eyes too. this recipe though, OMG, I cannot wait to try it this Christmas!
Hi Nagi,
Thank you for your new website. It’s owesome. All of your recipes are great! Being Italian I loved it! I used mascarpone cheese. The appetizer loaf has all the Italian flavors of home.
Thank you for your kindness for making this flash giveaway available to us. Please let Mother know, I await anxiously for new recipes from her..keep them coming Mother. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Annette
The new website looks great! I love the new categories! Only 1 suggestion – Under “By Categories” the format of the categories is centered which is confusing to the eye. It might be easier to read if they were all left justified. Otherwise great!
The recipe looks fabulous, and so does the website! A great kick-off recipe.
I have made a similar (and smaller) version using soft goat cheese. I used only sun-dried tomatoes, but this recipe has inspired me to do more.
Thanks, congratulations, and happy holidays!