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! 😂
joyce says
I want to make this for our Christmas dinner!! It looks so good! I love the new webpage, so easy to get recipes! AND love Dozer’s Christmas photo.
RAYMOND H STANDRING says
The new website is great and very easy to read. Thank you for a magnificent service to all your recipe’s
Deanna Frazee says
Looks yummy. I may have to make this next week.
I like the fresh, new website look. I particularly appreciate that the font size seems a bit larger.
AJ Chung says
hey nagi, I like the way you set up recipe menus. It’s easy to find a recipe. Also, I really like your recipes and your mom’s recipes. Thanks.
Barb Hass says
I can’t wait to try this recipe. It sounds yummy.
I really like the new look of the website.
Merry Christmas Nagi!
Paul says
Hi Nagi, wow I love the new website, especially the new font. Only thing I don’t love are the big green tick-marks. The Xmas shot of Dozer is beautiful. Cheers! Paul.
Annita says
Love the new website. Would love it even more if you could answer the question I left in your meatloaf recipe comments section!!
Tucker Fiend says
Pure genius Nagi you should wear a sword, ’cause you are nobility. This recipe will prevent my wife having to run around like a headless chook organising antipasti for Xmas.
Timothy Larson says
Nice job on the website. Clean and easy to read.
Leon says
Love your Recipes Nagi. New Website looks very flash. Looking forward to trying this Cheese Log. 👍
Debra Crapser says
Like the new website. Much easier to go through everything. Dozer’s pics are cuter every time too.
Iris Lim says
Hi Nagi
Your new website is great and I love to read your cute updates on Dozer … although I am afraid of dogs haha
Andrea says
Love the new website design – so clean and pretty and easy to navigate. PS I’m making your Red Velvet cake for my son’s 3rd birthday tomorrow – can’t wait 🙂
Leslie Radley says
Yummm 😉
Tucker Fiend says
Pure genius Nagi. You should carry a sword, ’cause you’re nobility. This recipe will prevent my wife from running around like a headless chook organising antipasti for Xmas.
Anneliese says
Love the new website overall!! Looks very professional. 🙂 I do feel the font size of the recipe and comments sections is a little large, especially for the narrow width of the column, but I love the colour scheme and the typeface choice!
Jessie says
More Dozer photos please!
Love the new quick link buttons 😀
Wendy Wong says
Hi Nagi, love the new look – it is super simple to navigate. And the steps, they are so super easy peasy to follow and it turns the recipe to a edible cuisine !!!! (even for a novice like me !!:)
Janice Bell says
Love the site – it’s beautiful,colourful , informative and inspiring!
Tucker Fiend says
Pure genius Nagi. You should carry a sword, ’cause you’re nobility. This recipe is the answer to my wife running around like a headless chook organising antipasti.