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! 😂
This looks delicious! Also love the new website design. Nothing better than a good recipe organization system to find what you need!
Oh wow Nagi! I love the new layout…now I just scout around and almost instantly get where I want to be…this cheese log is on my Christmas menu for sure! Looks divine! And very handy that you’re also down under in the heat so we can copy your amazing festive menus! I wish you success in all you do, I started following you when I stumbled across recipetineats….my mom had an actual cake tin for her special recipes and we used to tease her about it…now that she’s no longer with us we still have the tin and am going to put them all together in a file format.
May your day be special and festive…Much love, Lindi South Africa
I just love the new and improved web site! Easier to read and I like the lay-out. Keep you delicious recipes coming, I haven’t tried one that we didn’t like.
Hi Nagi and Dozer. Love the new layout! Very simple to navigate and easy on the eye. I can’t wait to continue reading and trying all of your lovely recipes in the new year. Merry Christmas 🎄🤶
Thanks Nagi! love your recipes! And the new site looks good too!
New site really pops. Love your recipes and looking forward to exploring the new website
Love the new look, recipes are easier to find in this layout…..and beautiful pics !!
And love Dozer too❤️
Nagi number one!!! Great job on the beautiful, user-friendly website. Love scrolling snd drooling.
Recipe looks really colourful and tasty, ideal for a Xmas get together. Look forward to trying it, thanks for sharing.new website looks fresh and user friendly. 😃
I love your recipes but especially I enjoy the “Life o Dozer”. The new website has even more to enjoy of Dozer, and of course your recipes!
I have not made the italian cheese log, but recently made the pomegranate wild rice salad. It made a wonderful thanksgiving side. Love your website. Would love to win the knife. All my knives are crap!
Love the new look site Nagi! Easy to navigate and find what you are looking for. We’ll be putting the Italian Cheese Loaf recipe to test this coming weekend at a dinner over at a friend’s place, and will let you know how it goes.
OK, first. i have to admit, i clicked on the dozer link before anything else. i love that picture. could be my favorite. now, the site looks awesome! clear and easy to follow. you did a great job. and of course the recipe looks amazing. drooling as i write this. have a wonderful Christmas and new year.
I love your recipes. Love the new website too, congratulations.
Nagi and Dozer,
Love the new web site didn’t have any problems going thru it and especially love the “TASTE TESTER” (My taste tester LOLA loves him too).
Can’t wait to try this Christmas appetizer!
you have the best recipes, my family has really liked all the recipes I’ve made for them so far.
Thank you Nagi for a great new web site and all your hard work,
Ruby
This recipe looks so yummy! I was putting together my Christmas Eve menu yesterday and needed a great appetizer…now I’m all set. LOVE that it can be made days ahead 🙂
Oh…I forgot…the new website looks terrific too. So excited to explore it over the coming months!
It looks simply divine!
The colors are great and the ingredients sound divine.
Serving this at Christmas.
Love the new look and glad you kept Dozer here putting in his 2 cents 🙂
I need to explore more but so far I love it and that dozer has remained 🙂
I like the new website Nagi very user friendly. Love your recipes keep up the good work. Merry Christmas