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! 😂
A lovely new design. Had a look round searching different recipes and it was user friendly!
My first comment – lured by the knives!!!
Wow, what a difference. This new website is so much brighter, faster, and easier to use. Navigating is so fast.
Sombody wake Dozer up. It’s a special day…
The recipe looks great and I’m going to try it today.
Love the new website and can’t wait until tonight to make and try the cheese log.
Cheers!
Crisp and bright! You might consider reducing the size of your sub-title fonts as there seems to be a lot more scrolling required. Also, maybe move the link to your Mom’s site up under Dozer:-) lastly, a upper level ink to your videos. Your recipes are attractive, practical and realistic for us wanna be chefs:-) keep them (as well as your life notes) coming!
Oh dear should be in bed but here I am yet again planning more adventures with you! Is this cheating I wonder?
I’m wasnt hugely attracted to the recipe based on the photo as the oiliness put me off but reading your description has definitely made me change my mind.
Impressive new site so congratulations. Only glitch was the clock through to similar appetitzers does not work.
I’m sure my 3 year old Bill will be delighted to get involved in checking out the new site, he loves watching the videos and humming along.
It makes my heart so happy to see a dedicated Mexican Section!! I cant wait to explore the rest of the site and try out more of your recipes! Those I’ve already tried have been a hit and my family think I’m a genius in the kitchen!!
Looks like a fab new year’s eve appetizer!
I want to make the cheese log for the family Christmas dinner
The Italian Christmas Cheese Loaf looks incredible! Definitely making this using Herbs de Provence for seasoning!
I really enjoy browsing your recipes, the new website makes that even easier! Great look!
Love your new website It makes it so much easier to find the recipe you’re looking for
I have made heaps of your recipes and haven’t had a bad one yet
Yours is the go to website when looking for something to cook
Nagi. I love the new website. Simple and fresh. You look great in the pic too. I’d like to make this cheese log as well. Happy Holidays and a successful new year.
Hi Nagi! I love your new website. It’s bright, colourful, easy to navigate and I’m keen as ever to see many of your dishes on our Christmas table. Thank you.
I am going to have a hard time waiting for Christmas to make this I do like the new look but wish the recipe was closer to the top of the page
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Love the new design of the website. I think it’s great that Dozer has his own page, too!
WOW, I am so impressed. A delight for the eyes. So vivrant. Easy to navigate and to browse. You and Dozer are cute as ever. Blessings.
The best Part of the tasty Italian Cheese Log is that it keeps for a week. So no last minute appetizer needed. Delicious tasting, too.
Wow wow!, Love this new website! So much easier to find recipes! Great work Nagi & Dozer!,
The new logo is great – like a basket full of great recipes to be tried. The colors, vibrancy and layout are totally appealing and draws you in. Well done, Nagi. Love Dozer’s ‘button’, too.
This looks amazing…truly looks like Christmas on a plate. Will be making this for sure this holiday.
Love your new website. Makes it so easy to find your great recipes…I usually don’t like when things change but I do like this change!
Love the new website! Although, I didn’t find anything wrong with your old website – I always had my go-to recipes that I knew how to search. But the new presentation is great and I’m excited to explore.