Marinated Cheese & Olives
Marinated Cheese & Olives come together in a herb- and garlic-infused dressing for a quick, attractive appetizer or a fun and easy food gift in a jar!
If you love making and giving homemade food gifts, you'll also want to check out these recipes for Chai Tea Mix, EASY Homeamde Caramel Sauce, and Pecan Praline Bread!
Are you done with your Christmas shopping yet? Because I've hardly started, and I'm needing some commiseration from my fellow procrastinators here. Aside from the presents I need to buy, I also have a list of gifts to make. And let me tell you...this year, I am all about quick and easy. But of course, I still want to give homemade goodies that will be enjoyed and appreciated. And what's more fun than a food gift that you can plop in a Mason jar, jazz up with a cute tag, and call it a day? Say hello to Marinated Cheese & Olives!
It can be easy to get "sugared-out" over the holidays. So if you're interested in giving a food gift that's savory rather than sweet, today's Marinated Cheese is for YOU. Because everybody loves cheese, right? And as a bonus, it only requires about five minutes of effort!
How to Make Marinated Cheese
The super easy, shortcut secret here is buying ready-made ingredients and throwing them all together!
Now I realize that you're probably not in the habit of making your own cheese, and thus you typically already buy that ready-made. So when I say ready-made in reference to the cheese, I'm actually referring to the fact that you can buy it already cubed. No breaking out the knife and the cutting board...just dump it in a bowl!
As for the marinade itself, you can just pick up a bottle of your favorite oil and vinegar or Italian-type salad dressing.
Or, of course, you can make your own marinade if you like...my choices would be either my famous homemade Greek Dressing or Italian Dressing!
Toss in some jarred Kalamata olives, dried herbs, and whole (but slightly smashed) garlic cloves. Then let the whole shebang hang out in the fridge for awhile!
Seriously...you know a recipe is fast when peeling the skin off of six cloves of garlic is the most time-intensive step. 😉
From Appetizer to Gift
This combination of mild, smooth Colby-Jack, salty olives, bright herbs, and zesty dressing is not only tasty, but it's also got eye appeal.
This combo looks so pretty piled in a bowl as an appetizer, and it's just as lovely spooned into jars with sprigs of fresh rosemary for gift giving.
And the taste? Well, it's quite addictive. Even if you don't like olives, you'll want to pick around them because the Marinated Cheese is simply delicious (just ask my kids).
I hope this recipe comes in handy for you this holiday season as you hit festive parties and put together homemade gifts for friends and neighbors. It's pretty, it's tasty, it's quick and easy, and you can make it in bulk...now how can you beat that?
More Holiday Food Gifts
Marinated Cheese and Olives
Ingredients
- 32 ounces cubed Colby-Jack cheese
- 1 jar (approximately 12-ounces)Kalamata olives, drained
- 16 ounces of oil & vinegar or Italian salad dressing
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
- 6 large garlic cloves, smashed
- 6 fresh rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- In a large bowl, gently combine all ingredients except rosemary. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Divide cheese and olive mixture between 6 glass jars (such as pint-sized Mason jars), making sure there's one garlic clove in each. Place a sprig of rosemary in each jar and pour remaining dressing into jars, dividing evenly. Store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Notes
- You can use your favorite variety of cubed cheese, but something mild will absorb the flavors of the marinade nicely.
- You may use a jar of olives anywhere from 10 to 15 ounces, depending on the ratio of olives to cheese that you prefer.
- I highly recommend Kalamatas for this recipe (as opposed to regular black olives).
- Use a good-quality salad dressing that you enjoy (bottled or homemade), since that's a prominent flavor in this recipe.
Nutrition
Adapted from Southern Living 2010 Ultimate Christmas Cookbook. And the beautiful holiday gift tags can be downloaded at Living Locurto!
When serving as an appetizer to a crowd, do you put toothpicks alongside the bowl?
Sure, toothpicks work great! 🙂
I've used your olive recipe for pre-packaged food items on the go at my Daughter's coffee shop and cafe named Reverie in Wichita, Kansas and it's become one of their best sellers. The head chef wanted me to figure out something we could do with Olives and i found your recipe. I have added some crushed up red pepper flakes for color. Thank you, Your recipe rocks and it's so simple.
I would love to make this for gifts for my guests at Christmas party. Is there a way to seal it so I can make it ahead?
I've never tried sealing this recipe in jars, Jo Anna, and I can't really advise how you would do that. But you can make it up to two weeks ahead of time and store in the refrigerator, if that helps?
Samantha, I made this and your Artichoke Bruschetta recipe for last night's dinner party. Both were a hit. And the perfect starters before my gnocchi dinner. Thanks for sharing.
Would you have any recommendations for a good quality salad dressing? This sounds like a lovely, easy appetizer for my Thanksgiving get together.
Hi Jo! I really like the Newman's Own and Brianna's lines of salad dressings. Newman's Own has a good oil and vinegar, and Brianna's has a yummy French Vinaigrette that's kind of tangy if you're into that. I've also made this recipe before using Ken's Steakhouse Northern Italian Dressing, because that's one that I always enjoy the flavor of in pasta salads. I think it just comes down to finding a salad dressing whose flavor you enjoy!
You can also make your marinade homemade! I'd recommend the Greek or Italian dressing recipes on my site. Hope that everyone enjoys this as an appetizer at Thanksgiving!
Hi, I'm in New Zealand and just wanting to clarify the bottle of oil and vinegar - is this something you buy premixed over there? If so, is it 50/50 mix? I am keen to give this as a gift - although it looks so delicious it might not make it to the recipient lol
Hi Lynne! A bottled, store-bought "oil and vinegar" salad dressing in America is basically a simple vinaigrette, using the standard 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar.
So for this recipe, you can use a basic oil and vinegar vinaigrette salad dressing for your marinade, OR you can use an Italian salad dressing, which is basically oil and vinegar dressing with the addition of Italian herbs and spices. I typically use Italian dressing in this recipe (https://www.fivehearthome.com/homemade-italian-salad-dressing-better-than-olive-garden-copycat-recipe/), but it's a matter of personal preference.
Hope this helps, and hope you enjoy your Marinated Cheese and Olives! Thanks so much for stopping by! 🙂
Any reason NOT to use manzanillas? That's what I have on hand.
Hi Shana! I think you can use any olive that you prefer. The final result is just going to taste like manzanillas instead of Kalamatas...but that's okay, too! I do think I would avoid the canned black olives, though, because those aren't very flavorful (at least in my opinion). 🙂 Enjoy!
Thanks! Think I'll make some of both. 😉
Sounds great, Shana...I hope they're a hit! 🙂
Pinned this and so excited to try it!
Thanks for the pin, Sandra! I hope you love this recipe when you try it!
This looks wonderful. I am assuming that it tastes better the longer it marinates. How far in advance to you recommend making this?
Hi Jenny! I think overnight is plenty of time for it to marinate, although the flavor will continue to develop the longer you leave it in the refrigerator, of course. But honestly? It's pretty good right after you make it, too. 😉 Hope it's a hit!
OOOO that sounds SO good! I need to try this asap!
I think you'll love it, Lyuba! It's pretty amazing for those cheese and olive fans out there. 🙂 Enjoy!
I love this! What sophisticated take on traditional food Christmas gifts!
Thanks so much, Megan! Sometimes it's fun to put together a savory food gift in addition to all of the sweet ones! 🙂
Samantha, I absolutely love cheese and olives and would devour this bowl in a nanosecond! 🙂 Thank you so much for joining us and sharing at Best of the Weekend! Hope you are having a wonderful Saturday!
I did devour a whole bowl of it in a nanosecond, Cindy...fortunately, I gave the rest away after that! 😉 Thank you so much for stopping by...I hope you're having a warm and wonderful weekend!
wow, what a fun gift idea!
Thanks so much, Pauline...this recipe is certainly fun to make and give, and I know I'd love to receive it! I appreciate you stopping by! 🙂
Ok, love how quick and easy this is. Plus, I am a huge Kalamata Olive lover. This recipe is perfect and such a cute gift idea. Thanks for the great idea, pinning!
Aren't Kalamata olives fabulous?! And yes, this recipe is so quick and easy...always my favorite part! Thanks so much for the pin, Krista...hope you're having a great weekend!
Yes! I actually use to not like them because they were too salty for me, but I love the tanginess to them now! 🙂 I hope you have a wonderful weekend as well.
What a great idea for a gift! I have several friends that would rather have savory than sweet. Perfect!
Glad to hear it, Toodie! Hope you and your friends enjoy! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
I am going to make a jar for one of my foodie friends, a jar for myself and have this at my wine tasting party.
Pinning!
Cheers,
Stephanie
That sounds like a perfect plan, Stephanie! This recipe makes a lot, so you should have plenty to go around. 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend!
This looks so yummy. I love cheese and olives as a party dish and what a great idea for a holiday gift. Pinning right now 🙂
Thanks so much for the comment and the pin, Jordan! Hope you're having a great weekend! 🙂
What a great appetizer! Quick, easy, and right up my alley! Thanks for sharing, Samantha!
Thanks, Liz! One can never go wrong with quick and easy. That's about all I can handle at this crazy stage of life anyway! 😉 Hope you stay warm and have a great weekend...thanks for stopping by!