Guest post from Brigette Shevy
This “recipe” is so simple that I don’t think it can even be called a recipe. However, these roll-ups are something fun and a little different to include in those back-to-school lunches. They also are an attractive, can’t-go-wrong addition to any table of finger foods.
Did I mention that people of all ages will ask you for the recipe?
This is a great basic idea to be creative with. Sometimes I add chopped olives or flat leaf spinach for more variety and color (just make sure you don’t add anything wet or bulky). You can also make these up several hours (up to a day) in advance and keep them covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them (although I can’t vouch for the make-ahead factor if you’ve added in extra ingredients).
I make these look a little more like “pinwheels” (or flowers, or windmills, or whatever you think they resemble!) for my children’s lunches at home by arranging them with apple/orange slices and a carrot stick (see photo below). They love it! So much so, that I gave up on trying to get a photo I was happy with – it was just too traumatizing for my 19-month old to see “his” lunch and not be allowed to touch it. 🙂
Turkey and Cheese Pinwheels
Each single tortilla makes about 8 pinwheels
INGREDIENTS:
- Cream cheese at room temperature (so you can spread it easily)
- 10-inch flour tortillas
- Very thinly sliced cheese at room temperature
- Very thinly sliced turkey deli meat
DIRECTIONS:
- Spread tortilla(s) with a thin layer of cream cheese, going all the way to the edges.
- Place a single layer of thin cheese on top, stopping about ½”-1” before you get to the edges.
- Place a single layer of meat on top of the cheese, stopping about ½”-1” before you get to the edges.
- Starting with the side closest to you, roll the tortilla up tightly. Trim off the ends.
- Cut each tortilla into 8 slices (or whatever size you want them).
- Serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. These should stay secure without a toothpick.
Brigette is a full-time wife and mother who is blessed with three amazing bundles of energy (ages 5, 3 and 1). She enjoys music, experimenting in the kitchen, homeschooling her children, finding great deals, long-distance running, and anything chocolate.
Approximately how many slices of cheese do you need to make these?
adorable!
To make this extra fancy, buy spinach and/or tomato flavored tortillas and make a platter for parties. You can of course use any meat and cheese combo that strikes your fancy. For extra holding power make sure to put a smear of cream cheese in the last little bit of tortilla so that it glues well. I usually refrigerate for 30 mins before slicing. I love the flower design, I will have to keep that in mind the next I make these. 🙂 Of course, I’m totally down with flavoring the cream cheese or using other spreads like hummus.
I add dry italian mix to my cream cheese. I also add more stuff like thinly sliced cucumber and green pepper slivers are nice too. Of course lettuce.
I don’t cut them but if they aren’t gonna be eaten right away I put a toothpick in and wrap them up. Delicious. I buy tortillas at the Mexican store, they are very cheap there.
I really like this idea! I’ve added ranch dry mix to mine, but the italian mix sounds great. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Do you think these would freeze well? I’d love to make a bunch on the weekends and just be able to pull out some in the mornings to throw into lunches. They should thaw by lunch!
I wondered about that too. I know I have purchased frozen ones at Sam’s Club in a pinch and they are always a crowd-pleaser.
I have never frozen these, so I can’t say for sure. Maybe someone else out there has tried it and can help you out! The next time I make these, I will definitely try freezing a few and see how it goes. 🙂
I don’t see why you couldn’t freeze them. I always freeze cheese and lunch meat. And for the tortillas…I make breakfast burritos and freeze and have never got a complaint. Now for the cream cheese I read that you can freeze it but it may be lumpy when it thaws. But if it’s spread on the tortillas I don’t think it would make that much of a difference. On the other hand I don’t think I would freeze any veggies added to it. They may get mushy.
Thanks Brigette! It may not qualify as a recipe but it definitely qualifies for a great lunch idea! My son was such a picky eater that I forget about great things like this to use with my daughter.
I know exactly what you mean. My firstborn in ridiculously picky and I have to be careful not to impose that upon my other two kids. I have to switch up what I serve so that they don’t end up being picky as well!
Great recipe. My 3 year old will eat anything in a wrap, so this has been a great way for us to get veggies/meat in him.
Cute!
The pinwheels are too fancy for me, but we make rollups often. My tweenager likes it when I mix some ranch dressing mix (the powdered kind) with cream cheese, or sometimes I use chive and onion flavored cream cheese.
I’ve tried them with ranch dressing instead of cream cheese and they taste good, but the cream cheese helps them stick together and hold their shape well. We slice them up as shown, but keep the slices together in a “log” shape and wrap them in tin foil.
I like to add lettuce or or other salad-type veggies to mine, but the kiddo prefers them with just meat, cheese, and cream cheese.
I love the idea of adding flavors to the cream cheese…maybe taco seasoning with ham & cheese??? My mind is racing! The possibilities are endless. Now I just need to find a good deal on tortillas!
My children prefer lunch wraps to sandwiches most of the timel. I use ranch dressing instead of cream cheese though to speed up the lunch-making on school mornings. Whenever possible I add green leaf lettuce or spinach to give them extra color & texture.
Delish! We’ve been making these for months now. My kids call them “turkey roll-ups”, and always request them for lunch! I don’t even bother cutting them, as they eat the whole tortilla anyway!