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Most high end grocery stores have a great selection of marinated cheeses, olives and vegetables. While they are a real time-saver for putting together a last minute antipasto platter…they are really cost prohibitive. They sell by the pound at a cost of about $5.99. With a little planning, these recipes can be easily made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for about two weeks.
Bring them to room temperature before serving, add a variety of Italian salami and maybe some marinated artichoke hearts and you have an instant appetizer!
Use your imagination – maybe feta cheese and kalamata olives with a few sprigs of fresh dill or oregano, provolone cheese with green olives, and a couple cloves of garlic with fresh rosemary.
Not only are they great to have on hand, but they also make wonderful hostess gifts. I went to Old Time Pottery and found resealable decorative jars for about $3.99. ENJOY!
Marinated Italian Cheese & Olives
Course: Sides, AppetizersCuisine: Italian, MediterraneanDifficulty: Easy8
servings5
minutesINGREDIENTS
4 (8-ounce) packages cubed provolone cheese
1 (10-ounce) jar or 2 (7-ounce) jars kalamata olives, drained well
1 (16 ounce) bottle olive oil and vinegar dressing
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
6 garlic cloves, crushed
6 fresh rosemary sprigs
Directions
- Combine all ingredients except rosemary in a large bowl; stir gently. Cover and chill at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Pour cheese and olives into an 8 cup decorative and resealable glass jar or into 8 (one-cup) decorative and resealable glass jars. Place one rosemary sprig in each jar. Pour remaining dressing evenly into jars. Seal and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.
