Zesty Italian Pinwheels Recipe (2024)

Roll up lunch with Italian Pinwheels! These savory snacks are packed with meat, cheese and herbs. They’re easy to assemble and make a great appetizer for parties.

Italian Pinwheel Sandwiches

If you love Italian sandwiches, then you’ve got to try these Italian pinwheels! Layers of flavor: traditional cured meats, cheese, and veggies all combine for the perfect bite-sized snack!

I mean, is there anything more delicious than a tasty bite-sized pinwheel? I dare you to try and east just one!

And you don’t have to! Because this recipe makes enough to feed the whole family! 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. They’re also the perfect size to tuck into a school lunchbox!

These tasty pinwheels are the ultimate in finger foods!

Related: Try our 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 — 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

• 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 oz package cream cheese, softened
• 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 cup sliced Pepperoncini peppers (similar to a banana pepper)
• 1 medium tomato, chopped

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.

The slices of provolone can be swapped out with another type of mild cheese, such as mozzarella cheese.

If you’re serving a crowd of meat-lovers, you can add more protein. Bacon or prosciutto would both work well.

You can even spice things up by adding cracked black pepper or red pepper flakes to the cream cheese spread!

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:

1. Add softened cream cheese and Italian seasoning to a small bowl and stir until the seasoning is evenly incorporated.
2. Chop the pepperoncini and tomato into fine chunks. Folding the seasoned cream cheese.
3. Scoop about 1/4th of the cream cheese mixture onto each tortilla.
4. Use a silicone spatula to spread the cream cheese so that it covers the entire top surface of each tortilla.

Assemble the Roll-Ups:

1. Chop lettuce and scatter on top of the cream cheese layer.
2. Place 3 slices of provolone cheese across the center of each tortilla, add 3 slices of hard salami on top of that, and finally 3 slices of ham on top of that.
3. 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.
4. 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.

Prep Tips

• Be sure to use the large, burrito tortillas. A smaller tortilla won’t hold all the ingredients in as well.
• 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.
• 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.
• I find that a serrated knife works best for cutting the roll-ups.
• Pepperoncini peppers aren’t really spicy, so this is a great family friendly lunch or snack.
• If storing in the fridge for more than an hour, be sure to cover in plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out or absorbing other flavors from the fridge.

Printable Copy of our Italian Pinwheel Recipe:

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