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Ham and Cheese Pinwheels Recipe With Cream Cheese

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels made with cream cheese make an excellent appetizer or snack for your next gathering. The bold flavors in these cream cheese and deli ham flour tortilla roll-ups will complement any party menu. You may prepare this simple appetizer ahead of time to speed up prep on the big day.

ham and cheese pinwheels with cream cheese

These Tortilla Pinwheels with ham and cream cheese are a family favorite for special occasions.

We usually make these every Christmas for our Christmas Eve family celebration, and we call them Christmas tortilla pinwheels.

I made them recently for a function, and they all disappeared really quickly!

They are just that good. You can never make enough.

🎥 Video Tutorial: How to Make Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

Click the PLAY button below to watch our video step-by-step tutorial on how to make the best Ham and Cheese Pinwheels for your next party.

You can see more video tutorials on Instagram @gracelikerainblog.

Disclosure – I may get a small commission for purchases made through links in this post.

ham and cheese pinwheels with tortillas

🔑 Key to Success #1 – Use Burrito-sized or Larger Tortillas

A burrito-sized wheat tortilla serves as the outer wrapping for these simple deli ham and cream cheese roll-ups.

You may use whichever brand of flour tortillas you choose. The Mission tortillas are my favorite.

Be wary of “homestyle” tortillas because they tend to be much thicker than regular tortillas.

You want a decent meat-to-filling ratio, so I’d use a thinner flour tortilla.

If you want to cut the carbohydrates in this simple appetizer, use low-carb tortillas instead.

The big burrito-sized tortillas are recommended, but the grande tortillas would be even better for this recipe.

When you layer the cream cheese filling and ham on top of the circular tortillas and roll them up, the ends of the tortillas will be left empty and will be cut off and discarded.

Because a smaller amount of the tortilla is sliced off either end when using bigger tortillas, there is less waste.

tortilla pinwheels with ham and cheese

🔑 Key to Success #2 – Don’t Use Honey Ham

I listed the key to success as don’t use honey ham, but that really goes for all flavors of ham.

Look for a standard smoked ham or black forest ham to use in these pinwheels.

You should avoid using honey ham, maple glazed ham, or any other flavored ham.

The ham taste should complement rather than overshadow the remainder of the bite.

Look for a thinly sliced ham. You could even use a shaved ham in this recipe, but deli-sliced is best.

You can find a lot of good options in the prepackaged deli meat section in most grocery stores.

Or if your grocery store has a meat counter, ask for two pounds of deli-sliced smoked ham and they will know what you’re talking about.

It does not matter the shape of your ham slices.

Many times the ham will come in round slices or rectangular slices and either packaging will work just fine.

ham and cheese tortilla roll ups

🔑 Key to Success #3 – Leave a Border For Rolling

When you’re ready to assemble your Pinwheels, start by spreading a thick layer of cream cheese mixture all over the tortilla.

Spread the cream cheese all the way to the edges on the side nearest to you.

On the side that is away from you, leave about a 1/4-inch border with no cream cheese.

This will make your tortilla roll-ups easier to roll up.

On top of the cream cheese layer, add the sliced ham.

The ham can overlap a bit and doesn’t have to be perfect.

Starting on the side that is closest to you, tightly roll up the tortilla with the filling and ham inside of it.

Make sure that you keep the tortilla rolled tightly.

Some of the ham may begin to push out toward the tortilla’s edge, which is fine.

When you get to the end, you will have that 1/4-inch of extra space for the extra ham and cream cheese.

If the ham extends beyond the edge of the tortilla, use a sharp paring knife to cut off any extra so your pinwheels stay nice and neat.

Turn the tortilla over with the seam side down and slice the roll into pinwheels that are 1/2-inch thick.

The ends of the tortilla will not be even and may not have enough filling.

Throw away the ends – I mean, enjoy them as a snack while you work!

ham and cheese pinwheels

📌 Get the Printable Recipe for Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

Save our Ham and Cheese Pinwheels recipe to your favorite Party Appetizers board or your Easy Snacks board.

Ham and Cheese pinwheels with tortillas
ham and cheese pinwheels with tortillas

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels with Cream Cheese

Yield: 48
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels make an excellent appetizer or snack for your next gathering.

The bold flavors in these cream cheese and deli ham tortilla roll-ups will complement any party menu.

You may prepare this simple appetizer ahead of time to speed up prep on the big day.

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg (8-count) burrito-sized flour tortillas
  • 2 lbs deli-sliced ham (not honey ham)
  • 2 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 3 green onions

Instructions

  1. Finely dice the green onions (whites and greens).
  2. In a medium bowl, blend together the cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder until well-blended. Gently stir in the diced green onions.
  3. On each tortilla, spread a layer of the cream cheese mixture. Top with deli-sliced ham, leaving a 1/4-inch border on one side. Starting on the opposite end, tightly roll up the tortilla with the ham and cream cheese inside.
  4. Turn the roll-up where the seam is face-down and slice into pinwheels that are 1/2-inch thick.
  5. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 48 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 35Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 201mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 5g

Nutrition Information Provided For Educational and Informational Purposes Only.

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Becky alrez

Saturday 10th of February 2024

Can I use turkey instead of ham? My husband does not like pork

Jennifer

Saturday 10th of February 2024

Hi Becky! You can definitely use turkey instead of ham in these ham and cheese pinwheels. Often times turkey has a milder flavor but the cream cheese, garlic and onion more than make up for it.

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