Fiesta Pinwheels - Tortilla Roll ups (cheese) - Simple Bite Sized Appetizer
Fiesta Pinwheels is an excellent bite-sized appetizer that can be made ahead of time for a party or in large quantities. It takes only 15 minutes to make these tortilla rolls ups and no cooking is required.
I love parties and potluck, but always stumble when it comes to making appetizers. Most of the appetizers that I make involve being served hot or at least warm and that means I am cooking right until the moment guests come.
We were invited to a Christmas party and everyone had to bring bite-size finger food. That is when my usual dilemma kicked in and I was lost as to what to make for the party.
When browsing through a few websites, I came across these wonderful make-ahead bite-sized Fiesta Pinwheels that were so easy to put together and had wonderful Mexican flavors.
It also happened that I am doing the theme 'rolls and wraps' for this week's Blogging Marathon and this tortilla roll-up recipe fits right in the theme. Do not be fooled by thinking that these would not be a filling finger food. All I needed for 3-4 rolls and I was stuffed.
I had made a huge batch of this for the party and also had made some to keep back at home. My son loved to eat this Fiesta Pinwheels as an after-school snack since it was very filling. The best part is, that it has to be served chilled, and hence no hassle of warming just before serving.
Preparation time - 15 minutes plus time to chill
Cooking time - none
Difficulty level - easy
Recipe adapted from - Tasteofhome.com
Ingredients to make Fiesta Pinwheels- Makes about 30 bite-size pieces
- Flour tortilla - 4 (burrito size)
- Cream cheese - 4 oz
- Sour cream - ¼ cup
- Picante sauce or any Mexican hot sauce - 3 tablespoon (adjust based on your liking)
- Taco seasoning - 1 tbsp
- Ripe olives - 2 oz or about ¼ cup (drained and finely chopped)
- Canned green chilies - 2 oz (drained and finely chopped)
- Cheddar cheese - ½ cup (finely shredded)
- Salsa - to serve (optional)
- Toothpicks - to make it easier to pick and eat
Step-by-step process
- In a wide bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, and taco seasoning and mix well until smooth. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.
- Add a heaped ¼ cup of the filling on a tortilla and spread well.
- Roll it up jelly-roll style tightly and lay it on a serve ware seam side down or wrap them in plastic wraps. Since I made a big batch of the recipe, I just layered mine on an aluminum tray and refrigerated it.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.
- Once chilled, slice them into 1-inch pieces with a sharp knife and insert a toothpick through the middle to make it easy to serve.
- Serve the Tortilla roll-ups with salsa or as is.
Expert Tips
- Roll the wraps tight so they don't open up.
- Serve the pinwheels chilled. That helps in enhancing the flavors.
- Insert toothpicks before slicing the rolls. This helps in keeping the layers intact when slicing and also makes it easier to transfer it to the serving dish.
- Use different colored wraps to make holiday theme pinwheels. I like to use spinach, tomato, and regular wraps for Christmas colors.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely! That is the best part and it tastes better when made the night before serving.
Yes. Creating the fillings is up to your imagination. Use any flavors you like and enjoy. I have made Indian flavors with paneer and finely chopped vegetables.
You could any kind of homemade flatbread, but make sure that they are thin and easy to roll. I like the tortillas but have used flavored wraps as well as they roll up easily.
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Recipe
Fiesta Pinwheels | Tortilla Roll ups (cheese) | Simple Bite Sized Appetizer
Equipment
- bowl
Ingredients
- 4 Flour tortilla burrito size
- 4 oz Cream cheese
- ¼ cup Sour cream
- 3 tablespoon Picante sauce or any Mexican hot sauce adjust based on your liking
- 1 tablespoon Taco seasoning
- 2 oz Ripe olives r about ¼ cup drained and finely chopped
- 2 oz Canned green chilies drained and finely chopped
- ½ cup Cheddar cheese finely shredded
- to serve Salsa optional
- Toothpicks to make it easier to pick and eat
Instructions
- In a wide bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, hot sauce and taco seasoning and mix well until smooth. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.
- Add a heaped ¼ cup of the filling on a tortilla and spread well.
- Roll it up jelly roll style tightly and lay it on a serve ware seam side down or wrap them in plastic wraps. Since I made a big batch of the recipe, I just layered mine on an aluminum tray and refrigerated it.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.
- Once chilled, slice them into 1 inch piece with a sharp knife and insert a tooth pick through the middle to make it easy for serving.
- Serve the Fiesta Pinwheels with salsa or as is.
Video
Notes
- Roll the wraps tight so they don't open up.
- Serve the pinwheels chilled. That really helps in enhancing the flavors.
- Insert toothpicks before slicing the rolls. This helps in keeping the layers intact when slicing and also makes it easier to transfer it to the serving dish.
- Use different colored wraps to make holiday theme pinwheels. I like to use spinach, tomato and regular wraps for Christmas colors.
How long do they last once made ?
A couple of days?
They are good when stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Fiesta pin wheels are excellent appetizer Sandhya, Need to try it , my kids will love it.
Replace the hot sauce with fresh pico de gallo. So much better!
Love that in 15 minutes I have a delicious appetizer for the holidays season. Easy and tasty, too!
Love these flavors and there ar3 so many wonderful options for appetizers perfect for yhe holidays
This is perfect for my kids' lunches.. and mine! And a great appetizer idea too! Saving for later as I love the topping idea!