Description
This festive Pinwheel Christmas Tree Appetizer features creamy, flavorful cream cheese mixed with olives, red peppers, and fresh herbs, all rolled up in spinach and plain tortillas. Chilled and sliced into bite-sized pinwheels, these colorful and easy-to-make appetizers are arranged in the shape of a Christmas tree, perfect for holiday parties and gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese Mixture
- 16 oz cream cheese (2 blocks), room temperature
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup green olives, sliced
- ¼ cup black olives, sliced
- ¼ cup red peppers, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill, minced
Assembly
- 4 large tortillas (2 plain and 2 green spinach)
- Fresh rosemary for garnish
- Cherry tomatoes for garnish
- Decorative holiday picks (optional) for serving
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Chop the red peppers finely and slice the green and black olives if not already sliced. Set aside.
- Make the Cream Cheese Mixture: In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon juice. Using a hand mixer, blend until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps.
- Fold in Add-ins: With a spatula or spoon, gently fold in the minced fresh dill, sliced green and black olives, and finely chopped red peppers until evenly incorporated.
- Spread on Tortillas: Lay one tortilla flat on a clean surface. Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread about ½ cup of the cream cheese mixture evenly over the tortilla, covering it up to the edges.
- Roll and Wrap: Carefully roll up the tortilla tightly into a log shape. Wrap it snugly with plastic wrap to hold its shape. Repeat this process for all four tortillas (2 plain and 2 spinach).
- Chill the Rolls: Place the wrapped tortilla rolls in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up. This makes them easier to slice cleanly.
- Slice into Pinwheels: After chilling, unwrap each roll and cut into ¾-inch thick slices, creating individual pinwheels.
- Assemble the Christmas Tree: Arrange the pinwheel slices on a festive platter or wooden serving board in the shape of a Christmas tree.
- Garnish: Decorate the assembled tree with sprigs of fresh rosemary as branches, cherry tomatoes as ornaments, and optionally add decorative holiday picks for extra festive flair.
Notes
- You can prepare the rolled tortillas ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator. Slice just before serving to keep them fresh.
- For a gluten-free option, substitute regular tortillas with gluten-free tortillas available at grocery stores.
- Feel free to customize the olives by using kalamata, garlic-stuffed, blue cheese-stuffed, or marinated varieties according to your taste.
- If you prefer, substitute the red peppers with drained jarred pimientos to achieve similar flavor and color.
- Store any leftover pinwheels in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 pinwheels (approx. 30g)
- Calories: 85
- Sugar: 1.2g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
