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Think classic Italian sub flavors… but rolled up and snackable. These Italian pinwheels are layered with a super delicious Italian-inspired cream cheese spread, crisp shredded lettuce, provolone, salami, pepperoni and ham. They’re SO good! Perfect for pretty much any occasion too – parties, lunches, picnics or game day snacking.
3 Reasons To Make These Italian Pinwheels
- These Italian pinwheels have all the flavors you love in an Italian sub plus the most amazing cream cheese spread to bring it all together. They’re incredibly easy to love! And if you’re into these types of flavors, you’ll definitely want to check out my antipasto pasta salad with zesty Italian dressing too.
- They’re also perfect for making ahead. You can make them up to 24 hours in advance which makes them perfect for parties, gatherings or when you’re bringing a dish to share.
- And they’re so versatile! These Italian pinwheel sandwiches work as an easy party appetizer, lunch box option, picnic food or a game day snack that everyone loves. Simple, delicious and always a hit
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what you’ll need to make these Italian pinwheel sandwiches:
Detailed ingredient list and directions located in the recipe card below.
- Cream Cheese Spread: The cream cheese helps hold the pinwheels together. I wanted the spread to incorporate all the flavors that I love on a good Italian sub. So it’s made with a softened brick of cream cheese, grated parmesan, olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano and basil, garlic powder, and a mix of finely chopped green bell pepper, roasted red pepper, pepperoncini and red onion. Finish it off with some salt and pepper.
- Tortillas: I used large burrito-size flour tortillas for this recipe. Bigger tortillas = easier rolling and prettier pinwheels.
- Lettuce: Use finely shredded romaine lettuce so the pinwheels roll up nice and tight.
- Cheese and Meats: I used provolone cheese and a combo of salami, pepperoni and ham. The key is making sure everything is thinly sliced so rolling is easy. For salami, parmesan salami or genoa are both great choices. Use deli-style (the larger slices) pepperoni and any deli ham you love (I used black forest ham).
Variations
There are so many ways to modify these pinwheels so don’t feel locked into exactly what I used. Here are some ideas:
- Switch up the meats: You don’t have to use the same trio I did. Leave one out, double up on a favorite or swap in something else entirely. Prosciutto, capocollo or any Italian-style deli meat would be delicious here.
- Try a different cheese: Provolone is classic but sliced mozzarella, cheddar or havarti would all work great too.
- Play with the veggies: I used a mix of briny and fresh veggies that I love on an Italian sub but this is a great place to adjust to suit your tastes. Try chopped red bell peppers instead of roasted red peppers, banana peppers in place of pepperoncini, pickled red onions, olives, sun-dried tomatoes… you get the idea.
- Use a different wrap: Burrito-size flour tortillas are easy for me to find but any large wrap will work. Lavash wraps are a great swap.
- Make them vegetarian: Swap the meats for veggies like sliced artichoke hearts, grilled zucchini or eggplant ribbons, roasted red peppers, black olives, sun dried tomatoes, etc.
- Turn them into wraps: Instead of slicing them into pinwheels, just cut in half and serve as handheld wraps.
How To Make Italian Pinwheels
Let’s make these Italian pinwheels together! I’ll walk you through it step-by-step with photos so you can see exactly how to make them.
Step 1: Make the cream cheese spread
Add all of the following ingredients to a bowl and mix until well combined. You can do this by hand or use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to make it extra easy.
You’ll need 1 brick of softened full-fat cream cheese (8 oz/250g), ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon each dried oregano, dried basil and garlic powder, ⅓ cup finely diced green bell peppers, ⅓ cup finely chopped roasted red peppers, ⅓ cup finely chopped pepperoncini, ¼ cup finely chopped red onion plus salt and pepper to taste (I used about ½ teaspoon sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper).
Step 2: Assemble the pinwheels
Lay out 3 large burrito-size flour tortillas on a clean work surface. Divide the cream cheese mixture evenly between them, spreading it out while leaving a small border around the edges.
Sprinkle finely shredded romaine lettuce over top (about 1 cup per tortilla).
Then layer on the cheese and meats in an even row across, slightly below center closer to the bottom edge. For each tortilla, add 3 slices of provolone, followed by 5 slices salami, 5 slices deli-style pepperoni and 3 slices of ham.
Step 3: Roll up and chill
Starting from the bottom, tightly roll each tortilla up into a log. The contents start sliding a bit as you roll (totally normal), which is why placing the fillings slightly below center helps.
Wrap each rolled tortilla tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This step helps the pinwheels firm up and hold their shape when you slice them.
Step 4: Slice and serve
Remove the plastic wrap, trim off the ends (I always snack on those – no waste!) and cut into 1-inch thick slices with a serrated knife. Arrange the pinwheels on a platter and serve. I tend to get about 7-8 pinwheels from each tortilla.
Helpful Tips
A Few Tips
- Don’t skip the chill time: Try to give these at least an hour in the fridge before slicing. It allows the cream cheese to firm up so the pinwheels hold together nicely. In a hurry? You can still slice and serve them by using toothpicks to help hold everything together.
- Use a serrated knife: A sharp, serrated knife works best for slicing these. It will give you clean slices without squishing the pinwheels.
- Use brick cream cheese: I recommend full-fat for the best flavor and texture. Make sure it’s softened so everything mixes together easily. You might be wondering why not just use a tub of spreadable cream cheese? I totally get why this would sound reasonable but it’s not the best choice here. Spreadable cream cheese doesn’t firm up the same way as the brick-style does once chilled so the pinwheels won’t hold their shape as nicely or slice as easily.
FAQ
They sure can! You can prep these up to 24 hours in advance. That said, I personally think they’re at their best within about 6-8 hours, before the crunchier ingredients start to soften. To make them ahead, just fully assemble and roll them up, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the fridge. Slice right before serving.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
The chill time helps the cream cheese firm up so the pinwheels hold together and slice nicely. However, if you’re in a rush, you’ve got options! You can try to quick chill them by popping the wrapped rolls in the freezer for about 10 minutes to help them firm up faster. Or if you really just want to slice them right away, secure them with toothpicks first to keep everything together.
More Easy Party Appetizers
Did you make these Italian pinwheels? I want to hear all about it – let me know in the comments!
Italian Pinwheels
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling time)
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: about 21–24 pinwheels 1x
- Category: Appetizer, Snack, Lunch
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
Description
Think classic Italian sub flavors… but rolled up and snackable. These Italian pinwheels are layered with a super delicious Italian-inspired cream cheese spread, crisp shredded lettuce, provolone, salami, pepperoni and ham. They’re SO good! Perfect for pretty much any occasion too – parties, lunches, picnics or game day snacking.
Ingredients
For the Italian cream cheese spread:
- 1 brick full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature (8 oz/250g)
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ cup finely diced green bell pepper
- ⅓ cup finely chopped roasted red peppers
- ⅓ cup finely chopped pepperoncini
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1 teaspoon sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper)
For the pinwheels:
- 3 large burrito-size flour tortillas (or lavash wraps)
- 3 cups finely shredded romaine lettuce
- 9 slices provolone cheese
- 15 slices of genoa or parmesan salami, thinly sliced
- 15 slices of deli or sandwich-style pepperoni, thinly sliced
- 9 slices of deli ham, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Make the cream cheese spread: Place all the ingredients listed for the spread into a bowl and mix together until well combined. You can do this by hand or use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to make it extra easy.
- Assemble the pinwheels: Lay the tortillas out on a clean surface. Divide the cream cheese mixture evenly between them, spreading it out while leaving a small border around the edges. Sprinkle the finely shredded lettuce over top (about 1 cup per tortilla). Then layer the cheese and meats in an even row across, slightly below center closer to the bottom edge. For each tortilla, add 3 slices of provolone, followed by 5 slices salami, 5 slices deli-style pepperoni and 3 slices of ham.
- Roll them up: Starting from the bottom, tightly roll each tortilla up into a log. The filling might start sliding up a bit as you roll (totally normal), which is why arranging them slightly below center helps.
- Chill: Wrap each roll tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This helps the pinwheels firm up and hold their shape when you slice them.
- Slice and serve: Remove the plastic wrap, trim off the ends and cut the rolls into 1-inch thick slices with a serrated knife. Arrange the pinwheels on a platter and enjoy! You’ll usually get about 7-8 pinwheels per tortilla.
Notes
- Don’t skip the chill time: Try to give these at least an hour in the fridge before slicing. It allows the cream cheese to firm up so the pinwheels hold together and slice nicely. However, if you’re in a hurry and want to slice them right away, secure with toothpicks first to keep them together.
- Use a serrated knife: A sharp serrated knife works best for slicing these. It will give you clean slices without squishing the pinwheels.
- Use brick cream cheese: I recommend full-fat for the best flavor and texture. Make sure it’s softened so everything mixes together easily. So why not just use a tub of spreadable cream cheese? I totally get why this would sound reasonable but it’s not the best choice here. Spreadable cream cheese doesn’t firm up the same way as the brick-style does once chilled so the pinwheels won’t hold their shape as nicely or slice as easily.
- Make Ahead: You can prep these up to 24 hours in advance. That said, I personally think they’re at their best within about 6-8 hours, before the crunchier ingredients start to soften. To make them ahead, just fully assemble and roll them up, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the fridge. Slice right before serving.
