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, I would not have thought there was a way to improve the lure of your recipes but you absolutely have with this new website! The photos are super luscious, and the layout is
easy to follow. I like the category sections too –as in roasts. A nice way to get inspired. I have made many of your recipes by now and bar none, they have all be absolutely delicious. I am an notorious recipe modifier but I have learned that I don’t have to mess with your ingredients and directions. The dishes come out perfectly. My friends are getting a bit tired of me banging on about your website, but I won’t stop! You have a fan in Portland, OR, USA.
Wow Nagi, the new site is amazing. Easy to find recipes and overall such a nice layout. So glad Dozer is still a part of your website….. you are and will always be my favourite cook! Thank you for all
your great recipes so far……I am excited what more will come in the future. Good luck Nagi, I wish you great fortune and a happy and healthy life….of course the same for lovely Dozer
The new website design is great!
The new website design looks wonderful! Very organized and easy to navigate. Great job!
Love the new site design! Much more engaging and easier to navigate.
love the new website! I checked it out on both my laptop computer and my android phone (sometimes a website will behave differently and not so great on my phone which is frustrating because I use it the most), worked well on both sites, yay!
Thanks for the offer, love your recipes!
Seasons Greetings Nagi !
Love the new design, and very happy you’ve kept the videos, which are the best anywhere imo. Keep up the great work!
This is one I have to try; looks like a winner! I’m giving it a 4 star but if it tastes as good as it looks I may make that 5.
I just started following your site a few weeks ago. Already made several recipes. They are all great. I especially like your Dozer photos, as I am a dog lover. Great site design, and great recipes!!!
Really digging the new layout! The way the receipes are organized is on point👌
Love the new site and love your recipes!
Great new look! Merry Christmas to you and Dozer!
I really like the new look of your site. It’s not cluttered looking and that’s a big plus from my point of view. Thanks for the upgrade.
Love your new website! I plan on making a cheeseball soon so your recipe looks great.
The new site is fab!
I like how the recipes are catalogued with this new website design. Nice work!
Yummy and easy! Two of my favorite things!
I think the new format is really gorge….must have taken a lot of work. Great-looking website? Great recipes? Ummmm, it’s the recipes!!! (And your engaging personality shining through!!)
Hi Nagi
Haven’t checked out the new website yet but it has a nice clean look. Congrats. I’m not a huge fan of sundried tomatos so I think I’ll try topping with crushed pineapple.
Looking forward to more recipes
Cheers
I love the new look! More importantly I love your recipes and always look forward to reading.