Italian Pinwheels
These easy Italian pinwheels transform classic Italian sandwich ingredients – meats, cheese, and veggies – into delicious bite-sized portions that are perfect for parties or a quick lunch!
Italian Pinwheel Sandwiches
Calling all Italian sandwich lovers! Ditch the bread and say hello to bite-sized deliciousness! These Italian Pinwheels are bursting with layers of flavor – cured meats, melty cheese, and fresh veggies – all rolled up into a convenient, portable treat.
This is a great party appetizer for events where grazing is the name of the game: bridal showers, baby showers, you name it! These zesty pinwheels are a crowd-pleaser that you can whip up in minutes.
They’re also ideal for meal prepping so you can grab a quick lunch on the go, enjoy as a tasty after-school snack, and they’re the perfect size for tucking into a school lunchbox.
I mean, is there anything more delicious than a tasty bite-sized pinwheel? I dare you to try and east just one! (But you don’t have to – because this recipe makes 4 roll-ups – enough to feed the whole family or plan a week’s worth of lunches).
These Italian Pinwheels are so easy to make and a great appetizer for any party or as an easy lunch option for your family to enjoy. Talk about the ultimate finger food!
Related: Try our Italian Slow Cooker Chicken & Potatoes recipe too!
What’s in an Italian Sandwich?
If you ordered an Italian sandwich at a restaurant, it would generally include a combination of cured meats, provolone cheese, and seasoning. Perhaps oil and vinegar as well.
These Italian roll-ups are created with these flavors in mind โ a hearty helping of three meats, smooth cheese, and a zesty Italian seasoned cream cheese spread.
So much flavor wrapped up in a mess-free handheld bite!
Italian Pinwheels Ingredients
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- 4 large flour tortillas
- 3-4 large leaves of romaine lettuce, chopped
- 12 slices hard salami
- 12 slices deli ham
- 12 slices provolone cheese
- 32-64 slices pepperoni
For the Cream Cheese Spread
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup Pepperoncini peppers, sliced (similar to a banana pepper)
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Instructions
This is a super easy recipe to assemble, but you’ll want to allow at least an hour of chilling time before serving.
Make the Cream Cheese Spread:
- Add softened cream cheese and Italian seasoning to a small bowl and stir until the seasoning is evenly incorporated.
- Chop the pepperoncini and tomato into fine chunks. Folding the seasoned cream cheese.
- Scoop about 1/4th of the cream cheese mixture onto each tortilla.
- Use a silicone spatula to spread the cream cheese so that it covers the entire top surface of each tortilla.
Assemble the Roll-Ups:
- Chop lettuce and scatter on top of the cream cheese layer.
- Place 3 slices of provolone cheese across the center of each tortilla, add 3 slices salami on top of that, and finally 3 slices of ham on top of that.
- Arrange 4-8 slices of pepperoni on each side of the meat and cheese layer. The entire surface of the tortilla should be covered in meat.
- Starting at the top (where the pepperoni is), tightly roll the tortilla into itself. Use a couple toothpicks to secure and refrigerator for an hour to set. When you’re ready to serve, trim the ends, then cut into 1-inch slices.
Video Demo:
Prep Tips
- Tortillas – Be sure to use the large, burrito tortillas. A smaller tortilla won’t hold all the ingredients in as well.
- Veggies – Add more veggies to this dish, or customize with your favorite flavors. Roasted red bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, or sweet red bell peppers would all taste fantastic.
- Meal Prep – This recipe is perfect to make in advance, even the night before you plan to serve them. Simply keep covered in the fridge, and slice when you’re ready to serve.
- Total Time – I recommend at least an hour of chilling time after rolling the pinwheels, before you try to slice them. This allows the cream cheese to harden and holds everything together nicely. If you’re in a hurry and want to go ahead and eat, you can use a toothpick to hold the roll-ups together.
- Slicing – I find that a serrated knife works best for cutting the roll-ups. After you cut each piece, rotate the roll a bit so that it doesn’t get smashed down on one side. This also works when you’re cutting up a sushi roll!
- Spiciness – Pepperoncini peppers aren’t really spicy, so this is a great family friendly lunch or snack. However, if you’d like to add a little heat, you can sprinkle in some red pepper flakes or a drizzle of hot sauce.
- Storage –ย Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can also cover with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out or absorbing other flavors from the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Use a Different Type of Meat?
Absolutely! This recipe is easy to customize with your favorite sandwich fillings! Who says it has to be “traditional” to taste fabulous?
Don’t like ham? You can swap this with other deli meats, such as turkey or chicken. Both of those varieties have mild flavors that pair well with the other more robust cured meats. Genoa salami can be used in place of hard salami.ย If you’re serving a crowd of meat-lovers, you can also add more protein. Bacon or prosciutto would both work well.
The slices of provolone can be swapped out with another type of mild cheese, such as mozzarella cheese. You can also add extra cheese, such as parmesan cheese for an extra depth of flavor.
What Is A Substitute for 1 Tablespoon of Italian Seasoning?
If you don’t have a jar of pre-mixed Italian Seasoning in the pantry, don’t worry! You can use a simple combination of dried herbs to recreate the flavors:
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano + 1/4 teaspoon dried basil + 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- Optional: Add a pinch of garlic powder or garlic salt
More Party Appetizer Recipes
- Shaggy Dog Sushi Roll
- Hawaiian Roll Ham & Cheese Sliders
- West Virginia Pepperoni Rolls
- Fresh Corn Hush Puppies
- Cowboy Caviar Dip
- Honey Chipotle Wings
Italian Pinwheel Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Zesty Italian Pinwheels Recipe
Equipment
- Serrated Knife
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
- 4 10-inch flour tortillas
- 8 oz package cream cheese softened
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 cup sliced pepperoncini
- 1 medium tomato
- 3 leaves romaine lettuce chopped
- 12 slices hard salami
- 12 slices ham
- 12 slices provolone cheese
- 32-64 slices pepperoni
Instructions
- Add the cream cheese and Italian seasoning to a mixing bowl and stir until incorporated.
- Chop the pepperoncini and tomato into fine chunks. Add to the cream cheese mixture and stir together.
- Scoop ยผ of the mixture onto each tortilla and spread across the entire surface. Repeat until all 4 tortillas are covered.
- Chop lettuce and scatted on top of each cream-cheese coated tortilla.
- Arrange 3 slices of cheese across the center of each tortilla, then 3 slices of hard salami on top of that, and lastly 3 slices of ham on top of that.
- Place 4-8 slices of pepperoni above and below the meat and cheese layer, so that the entire surface of each tortilla is covered in meat.
- Starting from the top, tightly roll the tortilla into itself, until it is all rolled up. Use toothpicks to secure if needed. Chill for an hour in the fridge.
- Remove from the refrigerator right before serving, trim the ends, and slice into 1-inch sections.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Be sure to pin our Italian Pinwheels on Pinterest:
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There are not enough stars to rate these pinwheels. I made them yesterday and they were a super hit. Everyone loved them. I only had the ends when I made them. Awesomeness!!!
I love to hear that!! Thank you for letting me know you liked the recipe!
Will these get soggy if made the day before?
It’s possible, because the tortilla could absorb some of the moisture from the veggies and cream cheese spread. I usually make these on the day of the event where I’m going to serve them.