Italian Cheese Log
Ingredients
- 1 lb. cream cheese 2 8oz. packages
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 2 cups mild cheddar cheese or Asiago, Pepper Jack, Gruyere, etc. don't use mozzarella due to lack of enough flavor, freshly grated
- 9 oz. roasted red peppers drained and finely chopped
- 6 oz. salami or soprasseto finely chopped
- 1 cup green olives preferably Castelvetrano imported from Italy, finely chopped
- ½ cup green onions or scallions finely minced
- ½ tsp. EACH: thyme basil, rosemary, and black pepper
- 1 tsp. EACH: garlic powder red pepper flakes
- Serve with your favorite crackers or mini toasted bread slices
- Topping
- 8 oz. sun-dried tomato strips WITH the oil roughly chopped
- ¼ cup Italian parsley finely chopped (or chives can be used)
- Garnish
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
Add-In Options:
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- artichokes
- capers
- black olives
- prosciutto
- bacon cooked
- capicola hot cappy
Instructions
- Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and then line it with plastic cling wrap with an overhang.
- Mix all of the cheese log ingredients together.
- Scrape into the loaf pan with a rubber spatula, pressing down to remove any air pockets; level off the surface (a smaller pan = a taller loaf).
- Cover with the overhanging plastic cling wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or more (up to 1 week).
- Turn out onto a serving platter and peel off the cling wrap.
- Top with sun-dried tomatoes and pour over the oil.
- Garnish Italian parsley and rosemary sprigs for a festive appearance.
- Serve with crackers and little cheese knives for spreading onto crackers.