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The 80s called and it wants its cheese back! If “going viral” was a thing in the 80s, this would have broken the internet – or landline 📞😅 This is such a simple but delicious recipe for an appetizer with the cold cheeses marinated in a delicious herby mixture overnight so it really soaks up all that flavor!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Marinated Cheese
You are going to love this Marinated Cheese appetizer recipe because it is a little bit of work for a lot of flavor! You make this cheese appetizer the day before and just forget about it in the cold refrigerator till you’re ready to serve – which is great for company. It’s a unique way to serve cheese and it also spreads great on crackers or crusty bread. And let’s talk about the herby oil that the cheese marinates in overnight – just trust me on this one – it is bursting with everything you could want!
How to Prepare
Cream Cheese – Put your cream cheese in the freezer right before starting, it needs to be in there 20 minutes. It should be just the right texture to cut once you are done getting your marinade ready.
Sharp Knife – Use a sharp knife for cutting your cheese and clean it off with a paper towel if the cheese starts sticking to the knife.
Herbs – Finely chop your herbs. The smaller you chop them, the more they will blend into every bite.
Marinade – Let your marinade rest for 10-15 minutes before pouring it over the cheese. By the time you are done cutting your cheeses, it should be ready. This gives the flavors time to bloom.
Casserole Dish – Arrange your cheese in a shallow dish with enough room for the marinade to coat everything but not so big that it doesn’t support the cheeses stacked next to each other. I used a 7.5″ x 6″ Staub.
Marinate Overnight – Marinating overnight (or at least 6 hours) will give the cheese time to really soak up those flavors!
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🔥Chef Nadia’s Tip🔥
Don’t skip putting the cream cheese in the freezer for 20 minutes. It really makes a difference when you are trying to cut it!
Substitutions and Variations
- Substitutions
- Cheese Swap → Swap it for your favorite cheese. This recipe is really versatile and you can’t really go wrong!
- Herb Swap → You can play around with your favorite herbs here. Oregano and parsley are great alternatives.
- Sherry Vinegar → If you don’t have this, you can use champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar instead.
- Variations
- Heat it Up! → Want some bite? Add some chili crisp or a spicier pepper.
- Pasta Variation → Cube your cheese and let it marinate overnight. Add it all to cooked rotini to turn this into an amazing pasta dish.
The Perfect Pairings
Start your evening out right with a Frozen Extra Dirty Martini that will pair with the briny flavors of this cheese marinade. In keeping with the caper theme, The Best Chicken Recipe alongside a Arugula Fennel Salad would be perfect to follow this marinated cheese. Finish your night off with a light Passion Fruit Panna Cotta.
Cocktail Hour
Frozen Extra Dirty Martini 🍸
Mains
Best Chicken Ever
Sides
Arugula Fennel Salad
Desserts
Passion Fruit Panna Cotta 🍮
Marinated Cheese: Questions Answered
It is the 7.5″ x 6″ Staub.
Yes, it is. Always make sure you are checking the label with the cheeses that you are specifically buying. You can even easily make it vegan by swapping the cheeses with vegan cheese and using maple syrup or agave instead of honey.
Serve this marinated cheese recipe cold or at room temperature with some delicious crackers, crusty bread, crostini, or even fresh veggies!
It is best within 2-3 days. The flavors of this appetizer will continue to marinate in the cold fridge, which is great, but the cheese will get to the point that it softens too much if left too long.
Marinated Cheese
Equipment
- Bowl
- spoon
- small casserole dish, mine was 7.5" x 6" Staub
Ingredients
- ¼ cup chives, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
- ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
- 1 large fresno, or jalapeno, minced
- 4 cornichons, minced
- 2 tbsp cornichon brine
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, a tiny one
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1 lemon zest
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 2 tsp crushed red peppers
- ⅔ cup good olive oil
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 4 oz white cheddar
- 4 oz extra sharp cheddar
- ½ tsp Herbs de provence, optional
- crackers or bread, for serving
Instructions
- Place your cream cheese in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- In a medium sized bowl, add your herbs to a bowl with the fresno pepper, cornichon, cornichon brine, mustard, garlic, black pepper, lemon zest, honey, sherry vinegar, crushed red peppers and herbs de province (optional). Mix well. Whisk in olive oil and let it sit for 15 minutes.
- Cut all the cheeses into squares that are roughly the same size. Add the cheese to your casserole dish in rows, alternating the white cheddar, sharp cheddar and cream cheese.
- Pour the marinade over all of it, cover and let it sit in the fridge for a day. Serve with crackers or a nice bread and enjoy!
Kitchen Cam
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
