Cheesy Mexican Pinwheels

Is it a meal or is it an appetizer? I guess that all depends on how many of these you eat! Cheesy Mexican Pinwheels are easy to assemble, have lots of cheese, sour cream, and salsa too! Make them mild or be bold and up the heat factor!

Early in the day, on every Christmas Eve, you can find me in the kitchen. Christmas Eve at our house is all about food, movies, and complete relaxation. Obviously the most important thing is the food! Right!? We have all heard many times over that food is the glue that brings everyone together. And, I’m the one to make sure our appetizers are abundant!

For the past few years, I’ve made these Cheesy Mexican Pinwheels. We all love them! I usually make them the day before I’m going to serve them. It’s just one less thing to do on Christmas Eve. After all, those movies are not going to watch themselves!

What do you prepare on Christmas Eve? I will prepare these pinwheels. There’s always lots of crackers, chips, breads, etc. for dipping. John.e will not survive without a veggie platter, cheese, hummus, and dips. I have a few go-to hummus recipes here, and some great dip recipes here too. One has to have baked and cold dip options!

CHEESY MEXICAN PINWHEELS

My goal was to publish this recipe before Christmas, but I didn’t get around to it. Besides, contrary to popular belief, most food bloggers do in fact eat the food they share. Much of what you see at Lord Byron’s Kitchen is photographed and then eaten by all of us for that day’s lunch or dinner. So, I was unable to share the recipe ahead of time. But, it’s here now, and it’s never too late for a great recipe!

There are almost too many variations and options to share in this one single post! But, I will do my best to share some of my ideas with you in a little while. First, I want to walk you through what you’re going to need to make these and show you just how easy it is too. Let’s get to it!

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

1. Tortillas – You can use either corn or flour tortillas. I used the flour type, because I think they roll better cold and do not need to be warmed first. Flavoured tortillas will work well too. My favourite is the Tomato Salsa. You do you, but purchase large 10″ tortillas.
2. Green Onions – I used two, because I wanted a little bit of onion flavour. Green onions also add a pop of freshness. You can leave them out or substitute them with chives.
3. Cream Cheese – You will need eight ounces of cream cheese. You can use regular, fat free, etc. Use block or brick cream cheese. Do not use spreadable or whipped. You need the firm kind.
4. Sour Cream – I tend to use a low fat sour cream. Any type will work in this recipe.
5. Cheese – You will need one cup of finely grated cheddar cheese. I used the bright orange cheddar, because of the contrast in colour.
6. Salsa – Use your favourite salsa. We love the Corn and Black Bean salsa, which is what I used in this recipe. Of course, homemade salsa is always the better choice! I was all out.
7. Fajita Seasoning – I used a store-bought mix. The packet was 24 grams which is roughly three teaspoons.
8. Roasted Jalapeno – You can buy these in a jar at the store and simply chop them up. Or you can roast fresh jalapenos at home. To learn how, follow the instructions in my Roasted Red Pepper post. Just use jalapenos instead of red bell peppers!

HOW TO PREPARE THE PINWHEELS

Preparing Cheesy Mexican Pinwheels couldn’t be easier. Here’s what you will need to do step by step:

1. Add the softened cream cheese to a bowl and use your hand mixer to beat it until creamy.
2. Next, add in the sour cream and fajita seasoning. Beat to combine.
3. Add the salsa, green onions, jalapenos, and shredded cheese. Use a rubber spatula to fold all of the ingredients together.
4. Place a tortilla on a cutting board. Liberally smear the prepared filling, about a 1/4 of an inch thick, over 3/4 of the entire surface. Leave the top 1/4 of the tortilla without filling.
5. Starting with the bottom of the filling side, tightly roll the tortilla into a log without applying too much pressure. You don’t want to squeeze out the filling.
6. Place the rolled log onto plastic wrap. Roll to cover and twist the ends. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
7. When ready, remove plastic wrap and slice the logs into 1 inch slices and serve.

CHOICES, CHOICES, AND MORE CHOICES!

Life is all about choices, and I’m about to give you some! Many of you do not like extra spicy or hot food. No need to worry! You can leave out the jalapenos completely. I did find that the fajita seasoning had some kick to it, but it was the perfect amount for me. Feel free to add a bit of cayenne or a few dashes or hot sauce if you want the pinwheels hotter!

These are obviously vegetarian, but they don’t need to be. Try adding a cup of shredded chicken to the mix. It will certainly add lots of flavour and texture. Adding the chicken will add protein, which in my opinion makes these more like a wrap rather than an appetizer. But, to each their own!

If you can’t find fajita seasoning, you can use taco seasoning. I once had these with pulled pork seasoning and they were phenomenal! Also, you can certainly add more veggies. Try finely diced green and red bell peppers, finely chopped tomatoes.

What about some canned corn or canned black beans? There’s really no end to what you can do with these Cheesy Mexican Pinwheels! Now, what are you going to add or do differently? As always, I welcome your feedback and comments. Enjoy!

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