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! 😂
Took this to a birthday bash on the weekend. Everyone loved it. Next time I will divide it into 2 logs as 1 was just too big. Someone wants it as their Xmas gift!!!
I’m so glad it was a hit Mary!
Hi Nagi, I made this for my daughter’s winter Christmas themed birthday party today and it was a huge hit. I also made your potatoes au gratin and Brown Sugar Ham Glaze (can you tell I’m a huge fan of yours??). All were wonderful but the cheese log was outstanding I was told! Thank you 🙂 Rita
This looks wonderful. What kind of sun dried tomatoes do you purchase?
Hi Dee, I’ve used deli bought tomatoes and even ones in the jars – both work fine!
Amazing!!! Was a real hit with EVERYONE! I will be making this again very soon!
I made this for Christmas Eve and it was a hit, especially with the 8, 9, and 10 year old kids. Go figure! For New Years, we’re going to try it with a Mediterranean bent, perhaps with feta, Kalamata olives, artichokes, and some chopped pepperoncini for a bit of heat. Not sure it will beat this flavor profile, however!
It was such a hit at our Christmas party! No one can’t stop picking this delicious cheese log. My daughter requested it for our new year gathering too. Thanks for the awesome recipe, Nagi.
You’re so welcome!
Planning to make this into a wreath as one of the writers suggested. Olives and salami are off my low salt diet, but they are a small part of this loaf and I think I can cheat my lo salt diet by limiting them, leaving just enough for flavor. Can’t wait to try it on Christmas, my gift to me!!!!!
Olives and salami are off my low salt diet, but they are a small part of this loaf and I think I can cheat my lo salt diet by limiting them, leaving just enough for flavor. Can’t wait to try it on Christmas, my gift to me!!!!!
Wow! This is deliciously addictive. I divided the mixture to make two free-form logs, served at two gatherings, and everyone raved. Great flavours and presentation was suitably festive. This recipe is going in my keeper file for sure. Well done!!
I know what you mean! I’ve had to stop myself eating it all on so many occasions 😂
Hi Nagi, me again! Could you please add metric measurements for this Italian Cheese log as I would like to make it this weekend.
Thank you
I made this for Christmas-eve and Christmas. Oh boy!This was a hit! First plate that was finished and I had a lot of food! My kids were overexcited when they saw this again the second day :))
I made this for Christmas Day and my guests loved it. Can it be frozen as there is a lot left?
Cheers
I made this for our Christmas Eve dinner and everyone loved it! Even had compliments on the presentation. Great holiday party snack!
I made the Christmas Appetiser: Italian Cheese Loaf for Christmas Eve it was a hit only thing left on the tray were a few crackers. I divided it into to small loafs so I’d have one for Christmas day glad I did will make this again and again.
The Italian cheese log was a hit at Christmas lunch today even with the son who is not fussed on cheese thank you for the recipe
I just made the Italian Cheese Log and it is amazing! It’s chilling in the fridge for Christmas Day!
Thank you Nagi!
Loved your recipes
I love your recipes. This Christmas Cheese Log looks fabulous. A must try.
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes
Looks delicious
Made this for a Xmas get-together, and served it today. Everyone wanted the recipe. It tasted great and looked very festive on the table. A real winner.
Technical question: the recipe calls for 5 spices, 1/2 teaspoon each – that’s 2 1/2 teaspoons of spices. Alternatively, it suggests you can substitute 1 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning. Did you really instead mean 1 tablespoon (given that a tablespoon = 3 teaspoons and is closer in volume)?
My centerpiece is a ceramic Spode Christmas tree sitting in the middle a Christmas wreath with small lights intertwined. Can’t wait to make the Italian cheese loaf, looks delicious. Love all of your recipes.