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! 😂
The new design gives your website a fresh look, and the collections make it easy to find the recipe I want. I like the new print format for the recipes too. Well done!
Yes, clean fresh new website, easy to navigate, same great recipes. Italian Log is wonderful! Thanks, and Happy Holidays!
Wow, it looks very updated 🙂 I used my phone when I look up your recipes and it is so much better than before. The mobile view is very easy to read.
This looks great! Can’t wait to try it, love your recipes.
Your new web site is great! Happy holidays to you.
The website is lovely. And so is this recipe!
We are having lamb for the first time this Christmas, and I’ve sent my dad (who is doing the cooking) all of your lamb recipes. You never fail me, so I hope he likes one of them!
Hi Nagi. Love the new website. So very much easier to read and locate what you are looking for especially when in a hurry!
Absolutely love the new pic of you too.
Thanks for all your hard work.
Susan.
Love the new look & it easy to get around. Your recipe idea sounds great & I especially like all the hints and extra notes you give. Have a wonderful Christmas.
Congratulation on your new website. It is very well design. Easy to navigate. I particularly like the new search. Result very well organised. Good job
Love the new website Nagi it’s much easier to read for me. The type is larger on my iPhone and as per usual I’m drooling from the awesome photos mmmm cheese.
Fresh and easy to navigate
Hi Nagi and Dozer, this recipe look delicious, just what I need for a luncheon on Sat. The new website is great fresh and crisp. Have to say my favourite addition to the site is the meet Dozer section, he is soooo cute. Thanks for all the great recipes Losa
Great new website.
Love the recipe, video, dozer links at the top👍❤️❤️
Thank you so much for all your yummy recipes! Even at age 54, I’m still a beginner when it comes to cooking. But your recipes are easy to follow and always a hit with my family!
food looks delicious. Dozer looks festive!
Oh how I wish I was eating your Italian Cheese Loaf right now! It looks absolutely scrumptious! I love your new website, Nagi! Happy Holidays to and your family! A big shout out to Dozer! He sure looks mighty adorable in his Santa hat!! 🙂
So pretty! I am inspired to make this for the family’s potluck dinner!
Love your new website !!🥰
Love Life of Dozer!!!
I have to say he is one of my main reasons for yours being my favorite and only food blog that I subscribe to!!
But you are the number one reason, Nagi.
I love who you are and your sense of humor !!💕
ps And your recipes are the best !😛
Wowwowow! New site looks so good! An early Christmas present for you! A present for us, too! Will definitely make this for my ‘use a knife’ people… Dozer performed as his namesake – Dozer dozed. (I imagine you took many pics of him to get it right!)
Congrats!