Marinated Cheese: An Appetizer Recipe

An appetizer that I have loved for years now is marinated cheese. When we used to have teacher breakfast at school, one of the moms would bring this, and we all loved it.

I made it during the holidays for two different occasions. The colors are perfect for the holidays, but it works all year round! And it’s pretty easy. Find a printable recipe at the bottom of this post.

The ingredients:

½ cup olive oil

½ cup white wine vinegar

1 (2 oz) jar diced pimento, drained

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

3 tablespoons green onions, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon sugar

¾ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (8 oz) package cheddar cheese

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese

In a jar, combine all ingredients except cheeses.

Drained pimentos, vinegar, olive oil.

Chopped parsley.

Chopped green onions.

Basil, sugar, salt, pepper.

Minced garlic.

Shake well to combine and set aside.

Cut the cheddar cheese lengthwise in half to make two long pieces. Then, cut each piece into ¼” square slices.

Cut the cream cheese in the same manner – lengthwise and then ¼” slices. Cream cheese should be cold. Spray knife with nonstick spray and/or clean after each cut.

In a shallow serving dish, arrange the cheese pieces into logs, alternating cheddar and cream cheese.

Pour the marinade over the cheese, spreading the vegetables out evenly over the top. (This platter is really too shallow. The liquid ended up leaking a bit off of the side.) Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours.

(Marinating is optional -- I have covered the cheeses on the platter with plastic wrap, traveled to my event with the marinade in the jar, and poured it over when I arrived. It is still great, and folks still rave over it’s yumminess!)

I double this recipe for parties – above is a double recipe, but be sure to only get 8 oz bars of cheddar cheese, not 16 oz.

Serve with Triscuits or Wheat Thins. This appetizer will be a hit!

Click here for a printable recipe.