Pimento-Olive Cheese Log

Taste of Home Best Holiday Gatherings, p. 21

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 jar (2 ounces) diced pimentos, drained

2 tablespoons finely chopped ripe olives

1-1/2 teaspoons grated onion

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon ground mustard

1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Assorted crackers

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the next nine ingredients.

Grating onions was weird, but it did add a lot of flavor!

Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape into a log. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. 

The best way I knew how to do this was to wrap it up in plastic wrap like refrigerator cookies. You know, so it can be encased in plastic like everything else in our lives.

Serve with crackers.

I dumped a bunch of crackers around it and also added a few more chopped olives on top for garnish.

My Rating: 4/5 "This is exactly the flavor I imagine when someone says the word 'savory.' It's a little salty, a little earthy, a little acidic; you get the picture. I enjoyed the consistency as well. The log shape makes it an easy-to-manage dip because you can just plop it on a plate."