Description
This Italian Cheese Loaf is a festive and flavorful Christmas appetizer that’s creamy, savory, and packed with Italian herbs, roasted peppers, salami, olives, and cheddar cheese. Easy to prepare and served chilled with crackers, it’s perfect for holiday gatherings and makes a delicious, spreadable treat that everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese Log:
- 500g / 1 lb cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 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 cups cheddar or other cheese, freshly grated
- 280g / 9 oz roasted peppers, drained and finely chopped
- 180g / 6 oz salami, finely chopped
- 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
- Prepare the loaf pan: Spray a loaf pan with oil and line it with cling wrap, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the cheese loaf out later.
- Mix ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, Italian herbs or seasoning, garlic powder, salt, red pepper flakes, freshly grated cheese, chopped roasted peppers, chopped salami, green olives, and minced green onion. Taste the mixture and adjust salt if needed, considering the saltiness of the crackers you’ll serve with.
- Transfer to pan: Scrape the cheese mixture into the prepared loaf pan, pressing down to level the surface and remove any air pockets. Using a smaller pan will result in a taller loaf.
- Chill: Cover the loaf with the cling wrap overhang and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to 1 week. This helps firm up the cheese loaf and meld the flavors.
- Unmold and garnish: When ready to serve, turn the loaf out onto a platter and carefully peel off the cling wrap. Top with the chopped sun dried tomato strips and drizzle over their oil. Garnish with finely chopped parsley and rosemary sprigs for a festive appearance.
- Serve: It is best served closer to room temperature rather than cold from the fridge. Serve with crackers and enjoy! The loaf is soft enough to scoop directly with crackers, but knives can also be provided for spreading.
Notes
- Cream Cheese: Use block-style cream cheese like Philadelphia for the best texture. If only spreadable cream cheese is available, omit the sour cream.
- Sour Cream: Can be substituted with yogurt or mayonnaise to loosen the mixture slightly for easy spreading.
- Cheese: Use any flavorful melting cheese such as cheddar, Swiss, gruyere, pepper jack, or emmenthal. Asiago cheese is an authentic Italian choice. Avoid mozzarella as it lacks strong seasoning. Freshly grate cheese for finer strands that blend well.
- Salami: Hot salami is recommended for a flavorful punch. Use large deli-sliced rounds for easier chopping.
- Freeform Option: Instead of using a pan, the mixture can be shaped freeform into a log using cling wrap and chilled similarly.
- Customization: Swap or omit ingredients as desired. For a meatless option, omit salami and add 1/2 cup grated parmesan for extra flavor. Other additions can include artichokes, capers, different olives, chopped pickles, cooked chorizo, crumbled bacon, or ham.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/20 of loaf)
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
