This pinwheel appetizer is a tradition at my house every holiday! Tastes great with Christmas dinner or Easter brunch. You could even make it a thanksgiving appetizer or for game day parties. This serves about 24 people if everyone only eats a serving!
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Ingredients:
- Flour tortillas - I buy what is cheap. For this recipe any size works, just might need more or less depending on how thick you want your filling and size of tortilla using. Try to use fresh tortillas as well
- Cream cheese - the block kind
- Sour cream - squeezable or tub kind works
- Cheddar cheese - shredded works best
- Salsa - your favorite one would work here! I use a different brand for this recipe every time. Homemade salsa even works.
How to make pinwheels:
- Place tortillas on a plate - if your tortillas are previously frozen, make sure they are completely thawed before beginning the recipe. If they are frozen, remove them from the plastic package and place them in a towel. Microwave for about 20 seconds or until they are thawed and easy to bend.
- Stir together remaining ingredients in a bowl
- Spread bowl mixture evenly between all the tortillas-it really depends on how thick you want your tortilla roll ups to be as to how much you spread on. I probably spread on about 2 tablespoons of mixture per tortilla.
- Roll up tortillas like a rug and freeze/ refrigerate
- Cut and serve
Tips for making cream cheese roll ups:
- Large tortillas - use the biggest tortillas you can find for this recipe so the slices are larger in diameter when cut
- No gaps - you will want to roll the tortillas up tightly like a rug so there is no gaps between the filling and tortilla
- Waiting to eat - don't eat right away or else they flavors aren't as blended together
Variations of cream cheese pinwheels:
- Tortillas - Sometimes I experiment with different flavors of tortillas such as spinach or tomato basil for these tortillas pinwheels. Just have to experiment and see what works best for you! Click here for my favorite brand of tortillas, not sponsored, this is just what I like to use.
- Hot sauce - you can swap out the salsa for a hot sauce of your choosing
- Other cheeses - instead of cheddar, pepperjack, parmesan or another flavor of cheese could also be an option
- Add bacon - you can make these pinwheels nonvegetarian if you would like by adding bacon! I would not cook the bacon until it is extremely crispy though, or else that could be too much of a crunch. Make sure the bacon is still nice and flimsy.
What to serve with holiday pinwheels can be anything from Homemade Andes Mints to Eggnog Cookies!
How to store tortilla pinwheels:
- Fridge - store these tortilla roll ups in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week
- Freezer - this recipe can be a freezer meal! I just freeze mine until ready to eat. I let them thaw out for about 15 minutes before serving them if I froze them first.
Recipe
Cream Cheese Pinwheel Appetizer
These pinwheel sandwiches are one of our favorite holiday appetizers. Tastes great with Christmas dinner or Easter brunch. You could even make it a thanksgiving appetizer. Bring this pinwheel recipe to your next family gathering, and the guests will not be disappointed!
Recommended Products
plate
rubber spatula
pairing knife
measuring cups
Ingredients
- 4-5 12 inch flour tortillas
- 8 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup salsa
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- seasonings to add at own discretion: celery salt, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic salt
Instructions
- Lay tortillas on a plate. Stir together all the other ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Using a spatula, spread cream cheese mixture on top of a tortilla. You can make it as thin or thick of layer as you like. Just make sure it is an even coat.
- Roll up tortilla. Repeat with remaining tortillas until mixture is gone. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Cut into 1 inch pinwheels before serving. Serve your Pinwheel Appetizer room temp!
Nutrition
Calories: 189kcal
All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. Nutritional facts listed are a rough estimate and should only be followed as a general idea.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
What a great appetizer! Great idea! Thanks for sharing!