An easy Marinated Cheese appetizer with herbs and roasted red peppers. Perfect for the holidays, with a marinade that doubles as a tasty salad dressing!
8oz.extra sharp cheddar(8 oz. block, sliced, $1.97)
8oz.pepperjack cheese(8 oz. block, sliced, $1.97)
4oz.cream cheese(frozen and sliced, $1.76)
6oz.roasted red peppers(half a 12 oz. jar, $1.06)
Instructions
Gather all your ingredients.
Zest and juice a lemon.
Combine olive oil, lemon juice and zest, red wine vinegar, Dijon, minced garlic, rosemary, parsley, salt, chili flakes, and granulated sugar.
Slice cheeses into ¼ inch slices and chop roasted red peppers. I find the cream cheese is easier to cut when it's a little frozen.
Arrange sliced cheese in an 8x8 baking pan or casserole dish however you like.** Add sliced roasted bell peppers on top and pour the dressing all over everything.
Cover with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve. This can be made up to one day in advance!***
Remove plastic wrap to serve. I like to serve this with cheese forks and a butter knife so people can easily dress a cracker with the sliced cheese or the cream cheese.
*Dry or fresh rosemary both work great in this recipe. I went for fresh this time because it's so aromatic, and I found some for 50% off at the store (I priced it out at full price just in case others don't have my good luck!)**I alternated types of cheese and adjusted as needed. It's ok if it doesn't look meticulously placed. You're about to cover it in the dressing, and it will be gorgeous no matter what!***This marinated cheese is delicious whenever you serve it, but a minimum of 6 hours of marinating really lets the flavors soak in! You can also make it the day before and let it marinate overnight. The oil may harden if refrigerated overnight, but it will become liquid again once it comes back to room temperature.