Ingredients
Olive and Cheese Ring
- 8 ounces cream cheese (sliced into 13 slices)
- 6 ounces sharp white cheddar (sliced into 13 slices)
- ⅓ cup pitted Kalamata olives (about 16 olives)
- ⅓ cup pimento stuffed Manzanilla olives (about 16 olives)
- ¼ cup (generous) roasted red pepper strips chopped
- 9 pieces thick sliced (or cracker cute) Genoa salami
- 9 pieces thin sliced ham
Marinade
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brine from the roasted red peppers
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat Italian parsley
- 2 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- warmed and sliced baguette for serving
Instructions
- Whisk together all of the marinade ingredients in a measuring cup and set aside.
- Arrange cheese slices and meats in a ring around the edge of dinner plate using this pattern:white cheddar, cream cheese, white cheddar, salami hamThen:cream cheese, white cheddar, cream cheese salami, ham
- Fill in the center of the ring by adding a few black olives, a few green olives, a few red pepper pieces until all of the olives have been used. Sprinkle the rest of the red pepper pieces over the top of the olives and cheese ring.
- Drizzle marinade over the olives and the cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-8 hours before serving.
- Serve with a warm baguette.
Notes
To neatly and cleanly slice cream cheese, I partially freeze it. The slices thaw quickly while the cheese and olives marinate.
Using fresh parsley adds loads of color and a nice aromatic element to the recipe.
I cut my ham slices in half, folded the bottom up and folded the ham in an "S" shape for an eye catching presentation.
Nutrition
Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 26g | Sodium: 437mg | Sugar: 2g