The cheese tree is a no-bake appetizer recipe for Christmas or New Year’s that is super easy, spectacular, beautiful, and delicious. Instead of the classic canapés, I thought of making a tasty little tree perfect for sharing with your guests, friends, and relatives who will love it and you’ll make a great impression with minimal effort! Making it is really easy and clever thanks to a little trick, I used a simple funnel that we all have at home to make the tree. Creamy and super tasty, with tuna, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and arugula, the cheese tree is also ideal as an edible table centerpiece. Take a bit of mousse with a knife and spread it on savory biscuits, or dip the crackers directly into the cream. You can also make it in advance and I am sure you will race to see who gets to eat it, and you’ll have a clean plate in no time!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas, New Year
Ingredients
- 14 oz cream cheese
- 2 oz canned tuna in oil (drained weight)
- 2 oz sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 cup arugula
- to taste black pepper
- to taste black and green olives, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, and a small piece of cheese for decoration
Steps
The cheese tree is very simple and quick to prepare. First, put the cream cheese, drained tuna, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped arugula, and black pepper in a bowl and mix everything together.
Line the inside of a funnel with plastic wrap (mine was 4 inches in diameter) and fill it with the rustic cream just made, level it well, close and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
After the resting time, unmold the cheese tree onto a plate, adjust the shape if necessary, and decorate with halved pitted black and green olives, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and arugula. Make the tree topper with a piece of cheese cut into a star shape. Place some savory biscuits or canapés next to it to accompany the mousse and serve it at the table.
Tips:
The cheese tree can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days. If you prepare it the night before, follow the recipe and then put it back in the refrigerator. You can enrich the cream with the ingredients you prefer. You can replace the tuna with smoked salmon or cold cuts like mortadella or cooked ham (even blended) or other pickled vegetables or nuts.
More Christmas appetizer recipes HERE
More Christmas appetizer recipes HERE
