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! 😂
Hey Nagi,
The new website looks amazing. I almost fell off my chair when I saw the button at the top that allows you to jump straight to the recipe! Not that I don’t love reading the story prior, but when you need to jump to the end this is a Godsend!
Keep up the great work & a Merry Christmas to you and Dozer.
Another fabulous recipe from you Nagi – I’ll definitely make this for one of our get togethers 🙂 . The new look website is great – easy to find what I’m looking for and a nice, clean layout. Dozer looks great in his colourful finery – he’s such a beautiful boy 🙂
Saw your new website before I got your email and thought wow that looks great. Love your site.
Hi Nagi! Love the new website, what a beautiful looking knife, and how exciting it would be for the lucky reader to win it.
I really enjoy your recipes and find myself trying lots of them, and with great results and very happy family and friends!
Regards Adrienne.
I am going to try this recipe for Christmas. I needed something that looks festive and this is the one. I really enjoy your recipes. My family loves when I try your dishes.
new website looks great
I absolutely LOVE your recipes! Your directions and notes are clear and easy to follow. I now have a Nagi recipes binder that is quickly growing. Keep Dozer in the picture. Thanks for the great food.
Loving the new site, the navigation is great. Also the text seems a better size and easier to read, but maybe that’s me.
I love Dozer’s page and really hope you add to his gallery there. I’m so glad you kept the Dozer button on the recipe pages.
Love the new website, Nagi and love your recipes! I’m not a good cook, but I do achieve some sort of success with your great “easy to follow” recipes. Many thanks
TYPO. LOVE THE NEW WEBSITE
I just love the new website! Did you make it yourself? And dead Dozer brings me so much joy. If I win the lottery, I’ll be vacationing in your neck of the woods with hopes of meeting both of you!!!
I meant dear Dozer!!!! should have proofread!
LOVE THE NEW WEBSIT
I will make this cheese log on Tuesday for party on Friday where I have to bring a plate!! Looks so easy & is all things my husband & I love!!
Oh my goodness Nagi, this recipe looks to die for. I had the Christmas menus all worked out but this HAS to be added. The new website seems excellent by the way and easy to navigate.
Love the new website😍
Oh silly me! I thought I couldn’t find Dozer – now when I scroll down he has his own page – oh sweet! Recipes .as always are written to perfection!
Excellent new format – thanks for doing that. Can Dozer be any happier!!
The page looks fresh. I love how easy it is to find recipes. Would ask (as others have) that the contrast be more defined to make it easier to see. Thank you for all you do.
Nice! So much from which to choose!
I love cooking and experimenting and your recipes always get the most raves. Keep them coming and I love the new look.