Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (2024)

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Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (1)

By: Becky Hardin

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Tortilla Roll Ups are filled with cream cheese, ham, cheese, and ranch seasoning. It’s one of my easiest and quickest appetizers for game day, Easter, or any party or occasion. It’s always delicious, and has become a favorite of my family. It only takes about 10 minutes to prep this ham and cheese pinwheels recipe, no cooking required! My kind of recipe.

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (2)

Table of Contents

What’s in Tortilla Roll Ups

The best thing about this easy pinwheel recipe is that I only need a handful of ingredients (6 to be exact) and about 10 minutes to to put it all together! As a busy mom, it’s so important to have favorite recipes to make that are also simple. This recipe always brings in a ton of compliments.

  • Tortillas: Flour tortillas work best for this recipe. 8-10 inch tortillas are the ideal size, but you can follow the steps with any size–you’ll just need to adjust how much filling goes in each if they’re smaller.
  • Cream Cheese: This creates a creamy base for the filling. Let blocks of cream cheese soften and come to room temperature before using. Low-fat and fat-free versions work too.
  • Ham: Use finely chopped pieces of ham to mix into the filling. This could be substituted with chopped chicken or turkey.
  • Cheese: Use shredded cheese. Sharp cheddar is my favorite for these pinwheels, but use whatever you like.
  • Ranch Seasoning: Mix a packet of this into the cream cheese for a nice savory flavor. You can make your own dry ranch seasoning if you like.
  • Green Onion: Chopped green onion adds a nice bit of texture and crunch into this snack.

This is such a versatile appetizer recipe. It’s easy to swap out ingredients to make your own variations, so get creative!

Ham and Cheese Pinwheel Recipe Variations

  • Spicy: When I want to make these roll ups spicy, I add a bit of chili seasoning, red pepper flakes, or a spicy ranch mix.
  • Mexican: I’ve swapped out the ranch mix for taco seasoning, used a Monterey Jack or Mexican cheese blend, and sprinkled in cilantro. I find them so delicious dipped in taco sauce! I also have this Mexican pinwheel recipe takes it up a notch with chorizo sausage.
  • Vegetarian: I’ve skipped the ham, and these still taste amazing. I sprinkle in some veggies like bell peppers and cauliflower for some texture.
  • Jalapeño Popper: These jalapeño cream cheese roll ups are filled with bacon, jalapeños, and a bit of spice. It’s a variation that my husband loves.
  • Skip the Tortilla: When I don’t have tortillas on hand, I make these ham roll ups. It’s a great option for keto and gluten-free eaters.
Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (3)

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (4)

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How to Store

I store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days (although I find they are best if eaten within 2 days). When I haven’t sliced the tortilla rolls yet, I keep them whole and wrap in plastic wrap.

How to Freeze

When freezing, I wrap rolls tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap, and place in a freezer-safe resealable bag. I freeze up to 1 month. Let them thaw in the fridge before serving. I love making these ahead of game day and then they’re ready to go when we want to celebrate.

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (5)

I have found that these easy ham and cheese tortilla roll ups are the perfect party appetizer for any occasion. Bring them to a potluck, Super Bowl party, Easter lunch, or serve them for New Year’s Eve or game day.

5-Star Review

“This recipe is a keeper forever! Made this for our family gathering yesterday (12.23.19) and it didn’t last at all. Next time I’ll have to double or maybe triple the recipe, lol. Thanks for sharing!!” – Jacqueline Watley

Recipe

Ham and Cheese Tortilla Roll Ups

4.46 from 587 votes

Author: Becky Hardin | The Cookie Rookie

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Total: 10 minutes minutes

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (6)

Serves10 roll-ups

Print Rate

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Fill up tortillas with cream cheese, ranch seasoning, ham, and cheese for a quick and easy appetizer. This is the best pinwheels recipe.

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (7)

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Ingredients

  • 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature (2 bricks)
  • 1.5 ounces Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Seasoning Mix (1 packet)
  • ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 5 flour tortillas
  • ½ cup finely chopped ham
  • ½ cup chopped green onion

Recommended Equipment

  • Glad® Press’n Seal® for prep

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, ranch mix, and shredded cheese together.

    16 ounces cream cheese, 1.5 ounces Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Seasoning Mix, ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

  • Spread ⅕ of the cream cheese mixture onto each tortilla in a ¼-inch layer.

    5 flour tortillas

  • Sprinkle each tortilla with ham and onion. Roll each tortilla tight to make sure the cream cheese binds the tortilla together.

    ½ cup finely chopped ham, ½ cup chopped green onion

  • Place in the refrigerator until fully chilled, about 1-2 hours.

  • Cut each tortilla into ½-inch wheels and serve.

Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!

Becky’s tips

Pinwheel Variations:

  • Spicy: Make these roll ups spicy with the addition of chili seasoning, red pepper flakes, or a spicy ranch mix.
  • Mexican: Swap out the ranch mix for taco seasoning, use a Monterey Jack or Mexican cheese blend, and sprinkle in cilantro if you like. These would be delicious dipped in taco sauce! This Mexican pinwheel recipe takes it up a notch with chorizo sausage.
  • Vegetarian: Skip the ham, and these still taste amazing. You could sprinkle in some veggies if you like: try bell peppers or cauliflower for some texture.
  • Jalapeño Popper: These jalapeño cream cheese roll ups are filled with bacon, jalapeños, and a bit of spice.
  • Skip the Tortilla: Make these ham roll ups if you want to skip the tortilla and wrap ingredients in slices of ham instead. This is a great option for keto and gluten-free eaters.

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1roll-up Calories: 247kcal (12%) Carbohydrates: 13g (4%) Protein: 6g (12%) Fat: 19g (29%) Saturated Fat: 11g (69%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 5g Cholesterol: 55mg (18%) Sodium: 684mg (30%) Potassium: 97mg (3%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 2g (2%) Vitamin A: 716IU (14%) Vitamin C: 1mg (1%) Calcium: 109mg (11%) Iron: 1mg (6%)

Did You Make This?I want to see! Be sure to upload an image below & tag @thecookierookie on social media!

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (8)

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (9)

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More Party Appetizers We Love

  • Deviled Eggs
  • Pizza Cupcakes
  • Everything Bagel Pigs in a Blanket
  • Enchilada Cups
  • Shrimp Summer Rolls
  • Lettuce Wraps
  • Pizza Pinwheels
  • Ham and Cheese Sliders

How do you keep tortilla roll ups from getting soggy?

As long as you eat these within 2-3 days, there shouldn’t be any issues with sogginess. The fresher they are when you serve them, the better.

How long do you refrigerate pinwheels before cutting?

I recommend refrigerating the roll ups for 1-2 hours before slicing. Chilling helps meld the ingredients together so they don’t fall apart after cutting.

Are these served cold or warm?

These ham and cheese pinwheels are best served cold.

Can you make tortilla roll ups ahead of time?

Yes. These are great to make the night before serving, and can be made up to 2 days ahead of time.

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (10)

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (11)

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57 Comments

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Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (13)

Ryan

Posted on 8/18/2023

First attempt at these didn’t go so well. The flavor profile was all right, not great…perhaps too strong on the ranch seasoning? Anyhow, the bigger issue was one of tortilla to filling ratio. Way too much filling to tortilla. Made for a very mushy, unsatisfying feeling. The recipe card just said “5 Flour Tortillas” without mentioning a size, so I used the standard size we usually get, which are more like 6″. I now see that the web site itself suggests 8″-10″, so we’ll try these again. Maybe it will be better. Hoping to serve these as part of a wedding reception if we can get them the right consistency.Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (14)

Reply

Samantha Marceau

Posted on 8/18/2023

Reply to Ryan

Sorry to hear these didn’t turn out as expected, Ryan! We hope you have better luck with the larger tortillas!

Reply

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (16)

Ryan

Posted on 8/23/2023

Reply to Samantha Marceau

We tried it again, using 10″, and it was much improved in terms of texture. Also, we reduced the ranch seasoning to two tablespoons and increased the amount of ham slightly (probably more like 3/4 cup). The consensus definitely was it was a bit improvement, although it was suggested to increase the ham even more! We plan to attempt the Mexican style next…I’m expecting that one to be my personal favorite!

3

Reply

Samantha Marceau

Posted on 8/24/2023

Reply to Ryan

So glad to hear you had a better second attempt!

Reply

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (18)

Love this recipe,been eating it and making it since was a kid.Something that is REALLY good with this ,is to dip them in SALSA! sounds weird but is AMAZING.Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (19)

1

Reply

Samantha Marceau

Posted on 7/3/2023

Reply to richard

Yum! Thanks so much for sharing, Richard!

Reply

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (21)

Rebecca

Posted on 4/6/2023

This is a great recipe, and pretty basic for those of you who can’t seem to handle someone holding your hand with the cream cheese measurements. You’d have to screw up pretty bad to mess this one up.
Thank you for the great recipe!

1

Reply

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (22)

Kin

Posted on 2/6/2023

How much does this recipe make? I know it says serves 10, but if I’m serving children and adults that doesn’t really help me.

Reply

Samantha Marceau

Posted on 2/7/2023

Reply to Kin

Hi Kin, this recipe makes 40-50 tortilla roll-ups!

3

Reply

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (24)

Tom

Posted on 3/3/2023

Reply to Samantha Marceau

But the recipe calls for 5 tortilla shells? Obviously a person can always double the recipe or even triple it to get the numbers they need, so not really an issue. I think it’s a tasty and simple recipe!

Reply

Samantha Marceau

Posted on 3/3/2023

Reply to Tom

Hi Tom, sorry for the confusion! This recipe serves 10 people, but it makes about 40-50 roll-ups! You slice the rolled tortillas into equal pieces to create 1/2-inch rolls!

Reply

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (26)

Mandy

Posted on 1/28/2023

It literally says 16oz…

2

Reply

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (27)

Julie W

Posted on 12/17/2022

Tasty roll ups but I would suggest doubling the meat. I felt the recipe amount was really sparse.Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (28)

1

Reply

Samantha Marceau

Posted on 12/19/2022

Reply to Julie W

Thanks for sharing, Julie!

1

Reply

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (30)

Renee

Posted on 12/2/2022

The recipe states 16 oz of cream cheese/ 2 blocks.Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (31)

4

Reply

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (32)

Tammy R.

Posted on 11/22/2022

Thank you so much for that clarification, although I thought it was pretty self-explanatory. I will be making these for my family’s Thanksgiving get-together. Thanks for sharing your recipe!

2

Reply

Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (33)

Linda widmeier

Posted on 11/22/2022

Question is it a half of cup of ham on each of each tortilla? Or on all five. Seems like not enough ham?

Last edited 1 year ago by Linda widmeier

Reply

Samantha Marceau

Posted on 11/23/2022

Reply to Linda widmeier

half a cup for all of them!

Reply

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Tortilla Roll Ups (Ham and Cheese Pinwheels) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie (2024)

FAQs

How do I keep my pinwheels from getting soggy? ›

One of the best ways to keep wraps from getting soggy is by using the correct storage method. Parchment paper or wax paper is ideal for wrapping up your wrap when complete, as it not only keeps the wrap shaped correctly but it also allows it to breathe which prevents moisture build-up that makes wraps soggy.

Can you prep pinwheels the night before? ›

Tightly roll up each of the tortillas and wrap each one in foil or plastic wrap; refrigerate the pinwheels overnight. Before serving, slice each roll up into ¼-inch slices. Arrange them on a platter or feed them to your ravenous family as you slice them.

How do you assemble pinwheel sandwiches? ›

Get the Recipe

Spoon the cream cheese mixture on top and spread into a thin layer, coating the entire tortilla. Layer on the sliced cheese, deli meat, and spinach. Place it toward the bottom 1/3 of the tortilla (not the center). Roll up the tortilla and slice into pinwheels.

How do you make wraps that won't get soggy? ›

Layer Ingredients Strategically

Start by placing a layer of greens on the wrap to act as a barrier between the fillings and the wrap itself. You can use lettuce, spinach or other types of greens. They will also help prevent the wrap from becoming soggy.

What should be done in preparing a pinwheel sandwich? ›

It's so easy to learn how to make pinwheel sandwiches. Just lay your preferred fillings onto the wrapper of your choice, roll up, chill, slice, skewer, and serve. Have fun making the sandwiches your own special way suited to your party's theme or the tastes of you and your guests. You hardly even need a recipe.

Can you let tortilla dough sit overnight? ›

Some tortilla makers cover their dough and rest it overnight in the fridge, making it even easier to work with. There are a few reasons why this is so critical. It allows the dough to thoroughly and evenly hydrate, creating a consistent mix that cooks the same way every time.

How do you prepare sandwiches the night before? ›

One tip I know is to cut off the crusts. I make sandwich items up the night before. That is to say, bread in one container, meat cheese and lettuce in a second (I don't do tomato), then condiments in a small container or I use the packets at work. Everytime my sandwich is fresh, crisp and delicious.

What sides go with pinwheels? ›

I love serving these pinwheels with a side of fruit salad and pretzels! Or, make some of my favorite Healthy Macaroni Salad for the ultimate summer meal!

What is the difference between pinwheel sandwiches and rolled sandwiches? ›

Pinwheel Sandwiches are sandwiches made with a tortilla wrap which gets layered with filling and then rolled. They are then cut into individual portions and served as little pinwheels. They are also known as rolled sandwiches and can be made from bread with the crusts removed if preferred.

Do you keep pinwheels in the fridge? ›

These will keep for up to four days in the refrigerator once they're made. You can also freeze pinwheels for up to two months. Freeze them individually on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment, and then transfer to a zip-close bag.

Can you defrost pinwheels in microwave? ›

Before making the pastries, start by thawing the puff pastry sheet. Remove it from the freezer and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes before using. You can also microwave the pastry wrapped in paper towel for 15 seconds on each side to speed up the thawing process.

How should pinwheel sandwiches be plated? ›

Pinwheel sandwiches are a perfect party food. Because they look great as a finger food, you should put some effort into the way you present them on a platter. The most common way to do this is to ring them around the perimeter of the platter, working your way in as you fill the tray.

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