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! 😂
Another one that hits the spot, I will definitely be giving it a try. Thanks as always for sharing!
Have a great festive season and new year!
Hi Nagi,
So glad you improved the categories, my only grip was locating your fantastic recipes. Now its quicker and easier!
I very much like the new site. It is formatted almost like a cookbook! Very easy now to find recipes! I wish I could make more of your recipes!
Maybe for those patrons who have dogs, you could create some Dozer recipes!
Love the new website! Your recipes are always delicious – keep up the awesome work.
Love the new website! Nice colors, very clear and creative! (I also love Doser’s Christmas photo) Cheers!
Love the Web site even I can use it!
Thanks for all the great recipes. We have tried many of them & they are all delish.
Greatnew website look.
Monica & Rich
Nagi, your new site is great, as was the other one. Your recipes are favorites in this house, as you know, so any wy to finnd them more quickkly is appreciated. And Mr. Fussy loves it when I say I’m making a Nagi recipe. I”m having an open house in earlyy January and will save this recipe to my files. Pet Dozer for me! And let me know when you are in SD again!
Love your recipes. This one will be used New Years Eve.
I love the new website, it’s so much easier to navigate! You have the BEST recipes.
Much improved new look. A pleasure to browse.
LOVE NEW LOOK. Especially love focus on Dozer!
My favorite blog got a paint job!!! Love the lay out and the Dozer “hot button!”
Your photo’s were part of what brought you to my eye. Great work!
I love that The DozeR Doggy has his own page. He can come to Cali and taste test my food ANYtime!!! This loaf is beautiful AND yummy! (I’m all about anything cream cheese, salami, Italian…FOOD!!!) I made it for a potluck at work yesterday. I halved the salami and made half with meat and half without. I used 1/4 c. Parmesan for the flavor. It disappeared! At least I got to TASTE IT. The sun dried tomatoes are a great taste and texture touch. Didn’t think to take a pic, but I can say it wasn’t as pretty as yours! Love your blog! Recipes are great! Keep ‘em coming!!! Angel.
Really like the new design – love the “Meet Dozer” link – and appreciate the print button for the longer/trickier recipes.
The new look website is so much clearer and brighter,
Great to see more of Dozer.
LOVE the new website. I often browse your website standing in the aisle at the supermarket – it looks great on my iPhone! 🙂
Will def. make this cheese loaf when we have guests this season.
Love the new design, an update is always a nice surprise.
Have a Very Merry Christmas.
Charlie
Your new website is awesome. Visually pleasing and I always love the pics of Dozer
I love the new website. It’s so easy to find a recipe. Your videos and pictures are outstanding. You have given me a new fire in my gut for cooking again. Thank you.