Zesty Pinwheels

 

These crowd-pleasing pinwheels are the perfect blend of creamy, spicy, and crunchy. They’re an easy make-ahead appetizer that’s always a hit!

Yields: 36-40 pinwheels
Prep time: 20 minutes
Chill time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 (8-inch) flour tortillas

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup sour cream

• 2 tablespoons sriracha (adjust to taste)

• ½ teaspoon granulated garlic powder

• 1 ½ cups ham, diced

• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced

• 1 cup red onion, finely diced

• 1 ½ cups pepper jack cheese, grated, divided

Instructions:

:

1. Make the Creamy Base: In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, sriracha, and garlic powder. Mix with a hand mixer or a spatula until smooth and well combined. Fold in 1 cup of the grated pepper jack cheese.

2. Assemble the Tortillas: Spread a generous, even layer of the cream cheese mixture over the entire surface of each tortilla, leaving a small border around the edges.

3. Add the Fillings: Evenly scatter the diced ham, green pepper, red onion, and the remaining ½ cup of pepper jack cheese over the cream cheese layer on each tortilla.

4. Roll Tightly: Starting at one end, tightly roll each tortilla into a log. For a neater presentation, you can trim off the uneven ends.

5. Chill and Set: Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (or up to 4 hours). This is a crucial step as it firms up the pinwheels, making them much easier to slice.

6. Slice and Serve: Unwrap the logs and use a sharp serrated knife to slice them into 1-inch pieces. Arrange on a platter and serve chilled.

Chef’s Tip: For the cleanest slices, wipe your knife clean between cuts.