Festive Holiday Antipasto Cream Cheese Log

This Antipasto Cheese Log is the perfect appetizer for your next gathering this holiday season. It’s a cream cheese mixture that is bursting with all your favorite ingredients from an antipasto platter.

Serve it alongside your favorite crackers for a delicious, flavorful, and beautiful presentation that will wow your guests.

🗝️ Recipe’s key points

• The creamy consistency of the soft cheese pairs well with the salty and savory flavors of the cured meat, olives, and red peppers.
• Not only is this dish full of holiday cheer for parties this time of year, but it’s also a great appetizer for game day. 
• It has all the flavors of your favorite antipasti platter but in a spreadable form.

This Italian Cheese log is a great way to add some classical Italian flavors to any holiday gathering. Also, it can be made ahead so that you can focus on other things that you need to make for your meal. 

🛒 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

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• cream cheese
• sour cream
• thyme
• oregano
• basil
• rosemary
• black pepper
• garlic powder
• kosher salt
• red pepper or chili flakes
• cheddar or other cheese freshly grated
• roasted peppers
• salami
• green olives
• green onion
• sun-dried tomato strips with oil
• flat-leaf parsley
• Rosemary sprigs
• Ritz, Triscuits, or other snack crackers for serving

🗒 Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

1. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and then line it with plastic wrap.
2. Add all the cheese log ingredients into a mixing bowl.
3. Mix well until fully combined. Adjust the salt if needed.
4. Scrape the mixture into the loaf pan, and spread into an even layer. Then press down to ensure there are no air bubbles.

5. Cover with cling wrap overhang and refrigerate for 4 hours+ (up to 1 week).
6. Turn out onto a platter, and peel off cling wrap.
7. Top with sun-dried tomato and pour over oil.
8. Garnish with parsley and rosemary sprigs to give it a festive look.

🥫 Storage

Store the cheese log in the fridge wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to one week. I like to make it 24 hours in advance so the flavors have time to meld together. 

📚 Variations

• Don’t have all the seasonings on hand? No worries, you can swap it out and use Italian seasoning instead. 
• There are so many different toppings that you can add to this cheese log, red peppers, green onions, pine nuts, kalamata olives, and your favorite fresh herbs. 
• Feel free to swap out the cheddar cheese and use any type of cheese that you enjoy. However, I don’t recommend that you use mozzarella cheese because it doesn’t have enough flavor. 
• For true Italian flavor try using asiago cheese, or even add a little parmesan cheese to the log. 
• You can add chopped artichoke hearts, finely chopped vegetables, or your favorite antipasto ingredients. 
• For a different flavor swap out the salami for bacon, or chorizo. Just make sure that it’s cooked. 
• Did you run out of sour cream? Swap it out for Greek yogurt in a pinch. 

👩🏻‍🍳 Tips

• You must use room temperature cream cheese so that the seasonings can mix easily into the cheese log. 
• This delicious recipe is great when served with a variety of crackers such as water crackers, table crackers, pita chips, pretzel sticks, or even bagel chips. 
• I used block cream cheese, If you don’t have block cream cheese in your area, leave out the sour cream because your cream cheese will be a little softer than block cream cheese.
• Fresh cheeses that you fresh yourself work best in this recipe. I recommend that you use finely shredded cheese so that it mixes well. 
• If you are using the pre-shredded cheese I recommend that you give it a rough chop to break it up a little.
• I like to use hot salami, the large round sliced that you can get from the deli because it’s easier to chop. 
• Salami – I use hot! I buy the large round pre-sliced salami from the deli, which makes it easier to chop. 
• To seal the cheese log to keep it fresh roll it up like a sausage and twist ends. Keep twisting ends to tighten the log as it will smooth out the shape.

🤔 FAQs

• Are you looking for another delicious cream cheese appetizer recipe to serve your family alongside this antipasto appetizer? If so, look no further than this Baked Goat Cheese Marinara. Your guests will love it. 
• Neiman Marcus Million Dollar Dip is one of my favorite dips to make for holidays and special occasions. It comes together quickly and guests always rave about it. 
• Do you love cream cheese? Turn it into a delicious lunch or dinner with this Cream Cheese Pasta recipe. You can’t go wrong with this tasty pasta dish. 

🍽 What to serve with Antipasto Cheese Log

This holiday appetizer goes well with crackers, and fresh vegetables for spread. But, I also love to serve it alongside my favorite appetizer recipes such as this Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip, Stuffed Cucumber Bites, and these Italian Pinwheels. 

🔪 All Our Way recommends the following

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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.

• Mixing bowl
• Plastic wrap
• Loaf pan 

📞 Chiacchierata (chat)

During the holiday season, we always host a few holiday parties at our home. And, this antipasto appetizer is one of my favorite recipes to keep in the fridge for our guests. They always enjoy it, and I can make it ahead so I’m always ready. You will love this simple appetizer. 

Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

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📖 Recipe

Italian Antipasto Cream Cheese Log

This Italian Antipasto Cream Cheese Log has a cream cheese base that is studded with salami, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and Italian seasonings. You can’t fail to impress with this festive and colorful appetizer.

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Course: Appetizer, Holiday appetizer

Cuisine: American-Italian

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 20 servings

Calories: 205kcal

Author: Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

As An Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

Cheese Log:

• 16 oz cream cheese 500g softened (see notes)
• ⅓ cup sour cream Note 2
• ½ tsp thyme OR 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning instead of the individual dried herbs.
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon basil
• ½ teaspoon rosemary
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder salt, red pepper/chilli flakes (adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon red pepper or chili flakes
• 2 cups cheddar or other cheese freshly grated (see notes)
• 9 oz roasted peppers 280g drained and finely chopped
• 6 oz salami 180g finely chopped (see notes)
• ¾ cup green olives finely chopped
• ⅓ cup green onion finely minced (3 – 4 stalks)

Topping and Serving suggestions:

• 7 oz sun-dried tomato strips with OIL 220g roughly chopped
• ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley finely chopped (or chives)
• Rosemary sprigs decoration
• Ritz, Triscuits, or other snack 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 the saltiness of the 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, and 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

Notes

1. Cream Cheese – I use Philadelphia blocks. If you can only get the spreadable kind, skip the sour cream.
2. Sour Cream – or yogurt or mayonnaise. It loosens the mixture a bit, making it easy to scoop with crackers.
3. Cheese – use any flavored, melting cheese you want, such as cheddar, Swiss, gruyere, or pepper jack. For an authentic Italian experience, use Italian Asiago. 
We prefer not to use mozzarella for this recipe. We don’t think it has enough flavor for a recipe like this.
We also prefer to use freshly grated cheese. Grated cheese blends better. and store-bought tends to have other ingredients along with the cheese. These are anti-clumping agents.
4. Salami – We love the hot! We buy the pre-sliced salami from the deli, which makes it easier to chop. Salami packs a good flavor punch and is a major flavoring element in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 720mg | Potassium: 449mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 706IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 1mg

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