Spicy Marinated Cheese is an easy, make-ahead party appetizer that gets better with time. Squares of cream cheese and cheddar cheese, (I sometimes use Colby Jack as well), are marinated in a spicy mixture of oil, vinegar, dried basil, and garlic and sprinkled with green onions and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. It makes a visually stunning summer appetizer or a festive Christmas appetizer.

The spice comes from a chopped jalapeno and some crushed red pepper flakes.
The cheese gets cut into squares that are just the right size for putting on a cracker.
The cream cheese slices are the best.  ?
Seriously. They take me to my happy place.

 
You’ll want to put the cream cheese in the freezer for a little while so that it is firm enough to cut.
You can use roasted red peppers or pimentos instead of the sun-dried tomatoes. Spicy Marinated Cheese is great for sharing. Put out a bowl of olives next to it for a tasty treat. Maybe add a tray of cured meats and you practically have a whole meal.

Serve Spicy Marinated Cheese with crackers and you have a real crowd-pleaser.

Spicy Marinated Cheese

Spicy Marinated Cheese is an easy, make-ahead party appetizer that gets better with time. 

1/2 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
2 garlic cloves, (minced)
1 jalapeno, (minced)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (8-ounce) block cr...