These smoky, savory Italian pinwheel sandwiches are so easy to make with large tortillas! Layer them with meat, veggies, and my flavorful cream cheese spread with dried herbs. Then roll-up and slice to reveal the colorful inside! Serve these light-yet-hearty little sandwiches as an appetizer, or as a fun handheld, packable snack for picnics and lunchboxes.
Inspired by A Family-Favorite Jimmy John’s Sandwich!
When our two daughters played in weekend tournaments for high school basketball and volleyball, we often made “a Jimmy John’s run” when their team had a break. And it was unanimous; our family’s sandwich of choice was their #9 Italian Night Club, which has many of the same flavors as our favorite homemade Italian chopped salad. I soon realized that I could easily create a sandwich at home that was just as good. And after I ran a few recipe tests past my family, they say my sandwich roll-ups are more fun and taste even better!
I learned a few things while testing this recipe. Let’s start with the tortilla. I only use large burrito-size tortillas; they’re easiest and quickest for layering on ingredients and rolling them up.
Next, add layers of flavor and texture for depth. You’ll want to use all three kinds of meat, because salami, capocollo, and ham each have a different taste and structure. And do not skip the Italian cream cheese spread! This thick and creamy spread is tangy and herby, and really brings the pinwheels together.
It may seem like a small detail, but using a serrated knife to cut these was a game changer! Other knives tend to squash the roll-ups, whereas the serrated gently saws it, giving you perfect pinwheels.
I most often serve these as a more substantial appetizer or a lighter meal. (They also make for great finger sandwiches at baby and bridal showers!) And I always include some pickles on the side. My easy bread & butter pickles and refrigerator dill pickles are my family’s top requests.
“These pinwheels are amazing! I have made them exactly as written as well as altered and both ways are amazing.”
Fawn
Just Say No To Soggy Sandwiches!
I always order my Jimmy John’s sandwich with oil & red wine vinegar, so these ingredients were a must for me with these pinwheels. But there was a problem – they soaked into the tortilla, causing it to get soggy and break down. So I incorporated small amounts of oil and red wine vinegar into the cream cheese mixture to make it nicely spreadable. It works perfectly!
Also evaluate the juiciness of your tomatoes. If they are especially juicy, lay the tomato slices on a paper towel to absorb some of the liquid. I sometimes even use my fingers to remove the watery pulp and seeds between the membranes.
Here’s My Simple Method
Zesty Italian Pinwheel Roll-Ups
Ingredients
Italian Cream Cheese Spread
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup good quality mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
Pinwheels
- 4 large burrito-size flour tortillas
- Italian Cream Cheese Spread (above)
- 4 cups finely shredded romaine lettuce
- ¼ sweet onion, very thinly sliced
- 4 roma tomatoes, very thinly sliced and excess liquid removed
- 8 ounces thinly sliced salami
- 8 ounces thinly sliced capocollo
- 8 ounces thinly sliced ham (a smoked ham is especially nice!)
Instructions
- Italian Cream Cheese Spread: In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, and dried basil until smooth. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.
- Pinwheels: Lay out the four flour tortillas on a work surface and divide the Italian Cream Cheese Spread between them, spreading it evenly.
- Next sprinkle the shredded lettuce over the cream cheese spread, dividing it evenly between the tortillas. Follow with the sliced onion and then the tomato.
- Finally, layer the salami, capocollo, and ham evenly over each tortilla.
- Tightly roll each tortilla into a log. Secure each log with toothpicks and use a sharp serrated knife to cut into 1-inch pinwheels. Refrigerate the roll-ups for at least an hour before serving. This allows the cream cheese spread to firm-up a bit and holds the spiral layers together. It also gives the flavors some time to meld.
These pinwheels are amazing! I have made them exactly as written as well as altered and both ways are amazing.
Can you use fresh Basil?
Sure, that would be delicious! :)
Really delicious. I made it exactly as stated, just used a bit less oregano. I will definitely make again. Thanks!
I love to hear this, Maria. Thank you so much for coming back here to let me know + rate the recipe. Happy New Year!