Easy Marinated Cheese Recipe

Sliced cheddar, pepperjack, and cream cheese swimming in a bright, herby olive oil marinade with roasted red peppers and just enough chili flake to keep things interesting. This marinated cheese came into my life the first holiday season I hosted alone, when I needed something that looked impressive but required almost zero effort the day of the party. The best part? It marinates overnight, so you just pull it out, set it on the table with some crackers, and look like you really have it together.

If you love easy entertaining food, you might also enjoy my Healthy Baked Ham Recipe and Easy Smothered Pork Chops Recipe for a full spread your guests will rave about.

Why You'll Love This Marinated Cheese

This herb marinated cheese appetizer checks so many boxes. It comes together in about 20 minutes of hands-on time, and the marinade does all the hard work in the fridge. You're using simple ingredients that layer into something way more complex than they have any right to. The tangy Dijon, lemon zest, and red wine vinegar wake up the cheeses in the best way, and the roasted red peppers add this soft, sweet contrast that balances everything out. It also works beautifully next to a Healthy Coleslaw Recipe if you're building out a bigger table spread.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Marinated Cheese
• Ingredients For Marinated Cheese Recipe
• How To Make Marinated Cheese
• Substitutions Your Marinated Cheese
• Equipment For Marinated Cheese
• Storage Your Marinated Cheese
• Serving Suggestions
• Expert Tips
• The Story Behind This Appetizer
• FAQ
• Related
• Pairing
• Marinated Cheese

Ingredients For Marinated Cheese Recipe

Here's everything you need.

See Recipe Card Below This Post For Ingredient Quantities

• Lemon : The brightness of fresh lemon cuts through the richness of the cheeses and makes the whole marinade taste alive. Don't skip the zest, it carries so much flavor.
• Olive oil: This is the base of your marinade and what carries all the herb flavor through. Use a good one you'd actually drizzle on bread.
• Red wine vinegar : Adds a gentle tang that balances the fat in the cheeses and helps the flavors penetrate faster.
• Dijon mustard : Gives the marinade its backbone. It emulsifies the dressing slightly and adds a subtle sharpness that makes the whole thing taste more complex.
• Garlic cloves : Fresh garlic infuses the entire dish while it marinates. Don't swap in jarred here if you can help it.
• Fresh rosemary : Adds an earthy, piney note that pairs beautifully with cheddar. Fresh rosemary makes a real difference in this one.
• Fresh parsley : Brightens the color of the marinade and adds a light, clean herby finish.
• Salt : Draws out moisture and deepens all the other flavors in the dressing.
• Chili flakes : Gives a small, pleasant kick at the back of each bite. Scale up if you love heat.
• Granulated sugar : Just enough sweetness to round out the acidity from the lemon and vinegar without making anything taste sweet.
• Extra sharp cheddar : The bold, aged flavor holds its own in the marinade. Slicing from the block gives you the best texture.
• Pepperjack cheese : Brings a creamy, slightly spicy quality that contrasts really nicely with the cheddar.
• Cream cheese : Slightly freezing it first makes it much easier to slice cleanly. It softens right back up in the fridge as it marinates, picking up all that herb flavor.
• Roasted red peppers : Soft, sweet, and just a little smoky. They sit between the cheese layers and soak up the marinade beautifully.

How To Make Marinated Cheese

Ready to put it together.

Gather your ingredients: Pull everything out before you start. Having it all in front of you makes this go smoothly and quickly.

Prep the lemon: Zest the lemon first, then cut and juice it. It's always easier to zest before you break into it.

Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, rosemary, parsley, salt, chili flakes, and granulated sugar until everything is combined. It should smell incredible at this point.

Slice the cheeses: Cut the cheddar and pepperjack into ¼-inch slices. For the cream cheese, pop it in the freezer for about 30 minutes beforehand. It slices so much more cleanly when it's slightly frozen. Chop the roasted red peppers into rough, bite-sized pieces.

Layer the cheese: Arrange the sliced cheeses in your 8x8 baking pan or casserole dish, layering them however looks good to you. There's no wrong method here. Mix the varieties, stack them, alternate them, whatever feels right.

Add the peppers: Scatter the chopped roasted red peppers over the top of the layered cheeses.

Pour the marinade: Slowly pour the marinade dressing over everything, making sure the cheese and peppers are fully coated and covered. A gentle press with the back of a spoon helps get everything submerged.

Marinate: Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Overnight is even better. The longer it sits, the more the flavors meld into something really special. The cream cheese especially transforms beautifully with more time.

Serve: When you're ready, pull off the plastic wrap and set the dish out with cheese forks and a butter knife so guests can help themselves. A big pile of crackers alongside is essential.

Substitutions Your Marinated Cheese

A few easy swaps if you need them. Gouda or fontina work in place of pepperjack if you want something milder and creamier. Apple cider vinegar can stand in for red wine vinegar with a slightly sweeter result. Dried rosemary can sub for fresh in a pinch, but use about half the amount since it's more concentrated. If you prefer no heat, leave out the chili flakes entirely. They add nice warmth but nothing falls apart without them.

Equipment For Marinated Cheese

• 8x8 baking pan or casserole dish
• Plastic wrap
• Cheese forks (optional, but really helpful for guests)
• Butter knife

Storage Your Marinated Cheese

Cover any leftovers with plastic wrap and keep them refrigerated. The marinated cheese stays fresh for up to 5 days, and the flavors genuinely get better the longer it sits. If the olive oil solidifies slightly in the fridge (which it will in a cold fridge), just let the dish sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. It loosens right back up.

The marinade pooled at the bottom of the dish also makes an excellent salad dressing or dipping oil. Don't waste it.

Serving Suggestions

This tangy marinated cheese platter is made for sharing. Serve it with a big pile of buttery crackers or sliced baguette for scooping. It sits beautifully next to a simple charcuterie board with salami, olives, and pickles. The marinade left in the dish doubles as a salad dressing, so drizzle it over some arugula if you want to stretch it further. And if you're putting together a full holiday spread, it pairs perfectly with a Healthy Baked Ham Recipe as a starter that guests can graze on while everything else comes together.

The Story Behind This Appetizer

My neighbor Mia brought this over one December evening, tucked into a little ceramic dish with a sprig of rosemary on top. She set it on my counter like it was nothing.

I immediately started asking questions, which she answered slowly, between bites of cracker loaded with cheese and roasted pepper.

"I may have used too much lemon," she said, squinting at the dish. She hadn't. It was perfect.

The cream cheese had soaked up the vinegar and garlic beautifully, and the cheddar had this subtle tang from the marinade that made it taste bakery-level fancy. I asked for the recipe before she left. She typed it out on her phone, standing in my doorway with her coat half on. That's the kind of recipe this is. Simple, fast, and the kind of thing you eat standing up before the guests even arrive.

FAQ

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Pairing

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