Easy Party Tortilla Pinwheels - Appetizers Recipe
What are pinwheels?
As far as appetizers go, pinwheels consist of a rolled-up cream cheese mixture (with other ingredients) in flour tortillas, sliced and served with a dip or alone. I make them just about every year for my nearly annual Christmas party. Salsa makes a great dip for them. This appetizer is a favorite for my guests, and I rarely have any left by the end of the night.
Pinwheels are easy to make, versatile with ingredients that can be used, and are loved by virtually any and every guest.
Ingredients for Pinwheels
I package burrito size tortillas
2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 4 oz. can chopped black olives
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies
¼ cup chopped green onions
1 jar of your favorite salsa
Optional: 1 small package wafer thin ham, chopped in tiny pieces
An Appetizer of Pinwheels
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Instructions
Combine cream cheese, garlic, black olives, green chilies, and green onions in mixing bowl. Add ham if desired. When I first started having my annual Christmas party, my best friend was a vegetarian, so I left out the ham. That was fine with me, as I never desired to add it after she moved away. The pinwheels are great without the ham--you decide!
Mix ingredients well. This can be made ahead the day before needed and refrigerated. Actually, the flavors blend better as they set, so letting the mixture set the day before is not too long at all.
Place a few large spoonfuls of the mix on tortilla and spread all over. Roll up tightly. Use as many tortillas as you need to use up cream cheese mixture. Place in refrigerator and allow to set for a couple of hours, (or overnight if you wish), as tortillas will slice more easily. When ready, slice them up—about ¼ to ½ inch thick—and arrange on a serving tray with a small bowl in the middle. Fill bowl with your favorite salsa. These pinwheels with salsa are a great combination. You won’t be disappointed in this appetizer, whether for Christmas or any other time of year. And neither will your guests!
Optional Ingredients for Party Pinwheels
Here are some other possible additions you can mix and match in your cream cheese pinwheels:
- green olives
- red pimentos
- chopped chives
- chopped dried beef
- bacon bits (preferably freshly cooked and crushed)
- capers
- finely chopped green, red, orange, or yellow bell peppers
Really, anything you like that you can chop and mix in with a few other ingredients will work in a cream cheese roll-up.
A really easy pinwheel: Pimento Cheese Pinwheels
Another tasty and extremely easy pinwheel is the pimento cheese pinwheel. Just buy a tub of pimento cheese and spread it on a flour tortilla. Chop it up and voila--you're done!
Add extra pimentos or green olives if you wish. I have also spread pimento cheese on different flavored flour tortillas such as tomato basil or spinach tortillas.
Since I love pimento, and these pinwheels are so easy, I get the ingredients for pimento cheese pinwheels from time to time just for me. Party or no party, these are great snacks or lunchtime food!
My Basic Christmas Party Menu - Plan Your Own!
- Easy Christmas Party Appetizer Recipes Menu
Plan a Christmas party with these 8 easy appetizers. These easy dishes have been a staple at my Christmas parties for over ten years.
Make great party appetizers!
Whether you have a lot of time to plan a party or very little, making pinwheels is a fast an easy appetizer. You can make cream cheese roll-ups in no time, adding a few of your choice items to the mix. To make things even easier, opt for the pimento cheese roll-ups.
Whatever you decide, you're sure to love any pinwheels you try! Experiment--and enjoy!