Italian Olive Cheese Spread (Printable)
Creamy Italian cheese spread with olives, herbs, and sun-dried tomatoes. Ready in 10 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cheese & Dairy
01 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
02 - 2 oz mascarpone cheese
03 - 2 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
→ Olives
04 - 1/2 cup green olives, pitted and finely chopped
05 - 1/2 cup black olives, pitted and finely chopped
→ Flavorings & Seasonings
06 - 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
07 - 1 clove garlic, minced
08 - 2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
09 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
10 - 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
11 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
12 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - In a medium mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, mascarpone, and freshly grated Parmesan. Stir with a spatula until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and free of lumps.
02 - Add the chopped green and black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, minced garlic, basil, parsley, olive oil, and red pepper flakes if using. Fold everything into the cheese base until evenly distributed.
03 - Season generously with freshly ground black pepper, adjusting the quantity to your preference. Stir once more to incorporate.
04 - Transfer the spread to a serving dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld and develop.
05 - Remove from the refrigerator 10 minutes before serving. Present chilled or at room temperature alongside crusty bread, crostini, or crackers.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The creamy tang of three Italian cheeses tangled with briny olives creates something you will keep sneaking back to spoon by spoon.
- Ten minutes of stirring is all it takes to pull off an appetizer that looks like you tried much harder than you actually did.
02 -
- If you skip the resting time the spread tastes flat and disjointed because the cheese and olives need that cold hour to become friends.
- Chopping the olives too coarsely makes the spread awkward to eat on small crackers and people end up chasing pieces around the plate.
03 -
- Room temperature cream cheese is not a suggestion since cold cheese will leave you with a lumpy spread that no amount of stirring can fix.
- A splash of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar stirred in at the end adds a deep savory richness that people will not be able to identify but will absolutely notice.