Meals Matter

Holiday Cheese Log

Contributed By: edaemyma
family friend

Quite a bit of preparation goes into this cheese log, but it's worth it.

Ingredients

1/4 Medium green bell pepper (for about 1/4 cup diced)

1/4 Small onion (for about 2 Tbsp minced)

2 cups Pecans (pieces or whole)

1 can Crushed pineapple (8 oz)

16 oz Cream cheese (room temp)

1/2 tsp Salt

1 jar Pimento strips (4 oz), for garnish

Assorted crackers for serving

Preparation

1 Rinse and seed the green pepper. Dice 1/4 of the pepper and set aside. Peel and mince 1/4 of the onion, set aside. Reserve the remaining pepper and onion for another use. Drain the crushed pineapple and set aside.

2. Using a food processor, finely chop the pecans. Add the cream cheese, pineapple and salt to the processor bowl. Process just enough to combine, about 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the work bowl.

3. Add the chopped green pepper and onion to the work bowl and pulse just enough to combine (about 10 seconds).

4. Place the cheese mixture on a large piece of plastic wrap and form it roughly into the shape of a log or candy cane. Wrap the cheese in plastic wrap and refrigerate until stiff enough to mold - at least one hour.

5. Remove the cheese from the plastic wrap and form it into a candy cane, garnishing with the pimento as the stripes.

6. Serve with crackers. Allow the cheese to come back almost to room temperature before serving. You may freeze the cheese for up to 1 month before garnishing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then garnish as directed. Serves 30.

Cook's Notes

The cheese may also be shaped into a ball and garnished with additional chopped nuts or a mixture of chopped nuts and chopped parsley.

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Recipe Details

Total Preparation Time: 1.5 hours
Actual Cooking Time: No Cooking Required
Number of Servings: More than 10
Origin: American
Special Features: Make Ahead
Vegetarian
Holiday: Christmas
Meal Type: Appetizers
Snack