Festive Antipasto Cheese Ball for Holiday Entertaining

This Festive Antipasto Cheese Ball for Holiday Entertaining is a show-stopping addition to any festive table. It’s creamy, savoury, and packed with the bold Mediterranean flavours of salami, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, artichokes, and herbs – all wrapped in a stunning antipasto-inspired coating. Perfect for Christmas gatherings, it’s a make-ahead appetizer that’s both elegant and crowd-pleasing.

Hey folks – I hope you’re doing well!

This week, I’m sharing a delicious and eye-catching holiday recipe – this festive antipasto cheese ball brings together everything you love about an antipasto platter in one irresistible bite. It’s rich, tangy, and full of texture, making it perfect for grazing boards or festive entertaining. Easy to make, easy to serve, and absolutely impossible to resist.

Why You’ll Love This Festive Antipasto Cheese Ball

• Festive and Impressive: A stunning centrepiece for your holiday cheese or charcuterie board.
• Packed with Flavour: Every bite bursts with Mediterranean ingredients like salami, roasted peppers, and artichokes.
• Make-Ahead Friendly: Can be prepared a day in advance for stress-free entertaining.
• Customizable: Swap or add your favourite antipasto ingredients for endless variations.

Flavour and Texture Profile

This festive antipasto cheese ball is wonderfully rich and creamy inside, balanced by smoky, tangy, and herby notes from the mix-ins. The chopped salami adds saltiness and depth, while roasted peppers, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes bring sweetness and texture. The outer layer of olives, more peppers, and cured meats adds visual flair, crunch, and extra savoury punch. Served with crackers or crusty bread, it’s an indulgent yet refreshing appetizer perfect for the holidays.

Ingredients You’ll Need for This Recipe

Cheese Ball:

• Cheddar Cheese: Grated cheddar forms the base, providing a sharp and savoury flavour. You can substitute part of it with mozzarella for a softer, milder texture.
• Cream Cheese: Smooth and creamy, it balances the cheddar and helps bind the mixture together.
• Sour Cream: Adds lightness and a pleasant tang that enhances the overall flavour.
• Salami: Finely chopped pieces add a rich, meaty note and a touch of saltiness.
• Roasted Bell Peppers: Bring subtle sweetness, colour, and a hint of smokiness.
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Add depth, tang, and a Mediterranean richness to the mix.
• Hot Peppers: A few minced pieces add gentle warmth and contrast to the creaminess.
• Marinated Artichoke Hearts: Offer a tender texture and a mildly tangy, earthy note.
• Fresh Rosemary: Infuses the mixture with an aromatic, piney freshness.
• Smoked Paprika: Enhances the savoury base with warmth and a light smoky flavour.

The Outer Layer:

• Olives: Halved and mixed for colour contrast, bringing saltiness and a classic antipasto element.
• Additional Toppings: Extra sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, or your choice of vegetables add variety and brightness.
• Cured Meats: Rolled slices of prosciutto and salami lend a decorative and indulgent touch.
• Fresh Rosemary: Used for garnish, it adds a festive, fragrant finish.
• Oil from Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Lightly brushed over the surface for shine and a boost of flavour.

How to Make This Festive Antipasto Cheese Ball

To make this festive antipasto cheese ball, simply combine all the cheese mixture ingredients – grated cheddar, cream cheese, sour cream, salami, roasted bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, hot peppers, herbs, and smoked paprika – in a large bowl. Mix everything together until well blended and creamy, ensuring the flavours are evenly distributed. Shape the mixture into a smooth ball using plastic wrap, tightening the wrap to form it neatly, then refrigerate it for about an hour or two until firm enough to handle.

While the cheese ball is chilling, prepare the outer layer by combining olives, roasted peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes. Once the cheese ball has set, unwrap it and roll gently in the prepared topping mixture until evenly coated. Decorate with rolled slices of prosciutto and salami, fresh rosemary sprigs, and a light brush of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes for shine. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve, and enjoy it slightly chilled with crackers, crostini, or baguette slices.

More Delicious Recipes

Are you looking for more fun recipes like this festive antipasto cheese ball? Be sure to check more recipes below:

• Chestnut Dip (or Bruschetta)
• Festive Mini Cheese Balls Appetizer with Cranberries and Pistachios
• Festive Holiday Pistachio Cranberry Bacon Cheese Ball
• Cranberry Brie Puff Pastry Bites

I’d love for you to try this Festive Antipasto Cheese Ball. If you give the recipe a go, please share your results in the comments, message me on Instagram, or post your photos with the hashtag #havocinthekitchen. I look forward to seeing your creations and hearing your thoughts!

Cheers!

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Festive Antipasto Cheese Ball for Holiday Entertaining

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Christmas, Festive Cheese and AppetizersDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8-12

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Chilling Time

2

hours

Festive antipasto cheese ball made with cheddar, cream cheese, salami, olives, artichokes, and roasted peppers – perfect for Christmas entertaining.

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Ingredients

• Cheese Ball:

• 2 cups (226 g) grated cheddar, preferably not too salty (you can substitute for 1/2 grated pizza mozzarella)

• 2 cups (450 g) plain cream cheese, room temperature

• 1/4 cup (60 g) sour cream

• 70-100 gr. salami, finely chopped

• 1/3 cup roasted bell peppers (from jar), drained and chopped

• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

• 2-3 marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

• few small pieces of hot peppers (from jar), minced

• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

• The Outer Layer:

• ~ 1,5 to 2 cups of olives cut in half (wash out the excess of salt), sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, or other veggies of your choice

• small slices of prosciutto and salami, rolled up

• fresh rosemary, to garnish

• oil from sun-dried tomatoes, for brushing

Directions

• In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, sour cream, and cheddar until well-mixed. Stir in the chopped salami, peppers, tomatoes (or any other combination of your choice), rosemary, and smoked paprika. You can also add 1 tbsp. of oil from tomatoes.
• The mixture will remain soft and sticky. Shape the mixture into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
• Remove from the fridge. Transfer to a serving plate, if needed. Decorate with the olives, tomatoes, peppers or whatever you fancy. It might be a little challenging to adhere the veggies to the surface, so you need to lightly press each element into the ball. Decorate with rolled up salami, prosciutto, and rosemary. Brush with some sun-dried tomato oil from the jar.
• Serve at once or chill 1-2 hours. Enjoy!