Holiday Cheese and Olive Wreath Appetizer

Make your party food preparation a breeze with this 10-minute festive Holiday Cheese and Olive Wreath Appetizer! 

Do you find entertaining during the holidays stressful? This Holiday Cheese and Olive Wreath Appetizer is the easiest appetizer you'll make all season!

It's a no-fuss, stress-free, spectacular party food platter with a touch of elegance. Full of olives, hot pickled peppers, cheese cubes and mini cheese balls, your gluten-free, keto, vegan and paleo guests will be able to find something in this herb wreath to snack on.

This cheese and olive wreath appetizer is quick and easy

This gorgeous appetizer platter takes one trip to the store and 10 minutes to arrange!

Start with a round serving dish. I used a 10-inch quiche dish I've had for years, but any round low dish will work, too. Choose something larger for a big crowd, smaller for a more intimate group.

Pick up a few kinds of fresh herbs. I bought dill, rosemary, mint and sage, only because they were the ones that looked the most fresh.

The herbs add more than an attractive bed for your cheese and olives! Their aroma as I was putting this together was intoxicating.

Begin by arranging the herbs loosely in a circular pattern. I started with the feathery dill, then added sprigs of rosemary, mint and a few sage leaves on top.

Next add a few cheese cubes. Choose your favourite cheddar, or an assortment like havarti, feta, pecorino, manchego or smoked gouda.

If you have extra time, make a batch of mini cheese balls. For this holiday appetizer wreath, I made mini cheese balls by combining cream cheese and sharp cheddar and rolled them in Everything Spice mix.

And lastly, fill in all the gaps with assorted piquant peppers and quality olives.

Should I use pitted olives or olives with pits intact?

While pitted olives are easier to eat, those with pits intact have much more flavour. Provide a small bowl for the olive pits.

Have you ever felt awkward about what to do with your olive pit?  If you've been concerned about the etiquette of eating olives in public, check out this article How to Eat Olives Without Looking Like a Fool .

And finally, place a small bowl with cocktail forks or toothpicks in the center of the wreath.

Just like that, you've made a spectacular platter! Serve with cocktail napkins and enjoy your easy fuss-free holiday appetizer.

How do I keep herbs fresh?

Avoid finding slimy herbs in the back of your fridge!  To extend the life of tender herbs like dill, parsley, cilantro, and mint, trim the stems, then place in a jar with an inch or so of water. Cover with a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator, or use a herb keeper to keep herbs fresh.

This popular Pomegranate Mandarin Holiday Wreath Salad that I made on repeat last December inspired me to create this olive wreath appetizer this year. If you make it, leave me a comment below or snap a pic and post it on Instagram and tag me @flavourandsavour ! I love to see what you make!

You might also like this post How to Make an Antipasto Platter.

📖 Recipe

Holiday Cheese and Olive Wreath Appetizer

Make this festive Holiday Cheese and Olive Wreath Appetizer when you need a quick, no-fuss easy appetizer that looks elegant! 

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, Canadian, Italian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 145kcal

Author: Elaine

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Ingredients

• ▢ assorted fresh herbs of your choice dill, rosemary, sage, mint
• ▢ 1 pint olives with pits
• ▢ 4 oz cheese of your choice
• ▢ 8 mini mini cheese balls or bocconcini cheese balls
• ▢ ¼ cup peri-peri peppers or other piquant peppers

Instructions

• Loosely arrange herbs in a circle in a large round dish. I began with a layer of fresh, feathery dill, then added rosemary, mint and sage leaves on top.
• Arrange cheese balls and cheese cubes randomly (or symmetrically) on top of the herbs. 
• Add olives and peppers to fill in the spaces. Tuck in extra herbs to fill in any gaps. 
• Add a small bowl in the center to hold toothpicks or appetizer forks. Alternatively, fill the bowl with mixed nuts or Spanish Spiced Almonds

Nutrition

Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 1009mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 375IU | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @enessman or tag #flavourandsavour!

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