Ham Cream Cheese Roll Ups

Ham Cream Cheese Roll Ups make the perfect lunch or appetizer! These tortilla roll ups combine easy ingredients to tick all of your boxes. Ham and Cream Cheese Pinwheels will get your party started.

Recipes like my Chicken Sausage Rolls, Pork and Fennel Sausage Rolls and Cheese and Bacon Pinwheels are savory options to fill the hunger void.

My Pinwheel Sandwiches, Pesto Pinwheels and Cheese and Tomato Pinwheels work as party starters or game day snacks.

🤍 Recipe Highlights

You will love how easy these roll ups are and want to make them time and time again. Here is the summary highlighting why they work!

• Quick, easy and delicious: you have to love a recipe that you can throw together in less than 10 mins!
• Ingredients that require minimal prep time: simply stir the filling together and spread onto the tortillas.
• Make in advance and refrigerate till ready: these roll ups stay fresh in the fridge without going soggy.
• Options to substitute or vary the filling: no limit when it comes to the wide variety of combinations that can be made.
• Taste, texture and satisfying snack: this versatile recipe lends itself to being served for a number of different purposes.
• Fill the lunch box, feed the crowd: yes, you can do both with the one recipe!
• Fuss free, organised and ready: make them work for you so you can do less work on the day! Prepare with plenty of time to spare.

Tasty Tip 1: This is a recipe that you can make the day before serving! Simply prepare, store in the fridge and then feed the hungry as needed.

🥗 Ingredients

The ingredients needed to make the recipe are shown in the photo below. For detailed measurements and how to guide, scroll to the recipe card below.

As you can see, the recipe calls for:

• Tortillas: we use these as the base for the roll ups and to hold everything inside. You will find an array of white, whole meal, multigrain and spinach wraps available. You can use whichever you prefer.
• Ham: I recommend using store bought shredded ham. This makes the recipe so easy as there is hardly any effort involved. You simply add the ham and stir to combine.
• Softened cream cheese: this is the ingredient that sticks all of the filling together. Grab it out of the fridge to begin so that it can start to soften. It will be much easier to combine it with the other ingredients if it is on the softer rather than firmer side.
• Gherkins: these are so handy to have in the pantry so when the need arises, they can be on hand. Gherkins are pickled baby cucumbers. They are perfect for wraps, sandwiches and burgers. These are known as pickles in some countries (USA) and have a sweet taste. They are sold in a jar with brine. We simply finely dice them.
• Parmesan cheese: this is a bold, sharp flavoured cheese. It gives both great taste and texture to the recipe. You can also use the equivalent amount of cheddar cheese if you prefer.
• Salt and pepper: we use a small amount of these 2 to help season the filling of the roll ups. Simply add and stir in with the rest of the ingredients.

Tasty Tip 2: When using a pale filling, I find it best to contrast it with a pop of colour from the tortilla wraps. White on white can be rather pale and unappealing. White on green - ta-daaaaa!

🍳 Instructions

Here are the step by step instructions to make the roll ups. We start by combining the filling ingredients.

• Combine cream cheese, ham, parmesan cheese, gherkins, salt and pepper (Photo 1)
• Stir till consistently mixed together (Photo 2)
• Working one by one place tortilla onto chopping board (Photo 3)
• Dollop cream cheese ham mixture onto tortilla (Photo 4)

👩‍🍳 How to Make Ham Cream Cheese Roll Ups

If you get the cream cheese out of the fridge as a starting point, you will find it easier to stir. It will be soft and flexible.

You will need to give the filling a really good stir so that all of the ingredients are mixed in well.

Use the spoon to get right to the bottom of the bowl and flip it over and paste the other ingredients into the mix.

Top Tip 3: A soup spoon is my preference when coming the cream cheese mix. As it has a shorter handle, you have greater control of it.

I mentioned in my Jalapeno Pinwheels, that without a firm grip on the bowl, you can loose it over the edge of the bench. So hang on as the filling is solid and firm.

• Spread the cream cheese mixture into one layer (Photo 5)
• Roll the tortilla tightly to enclose the filling (Photo 6)
• Wrap the rolled tortilla and place in the fridge (Photo 7)
• After 30 mins, remove from the fridge and slice into pieces (Photo 8)

🍜 Ham Roll Up Technique

I find a butter knife the easiest way of spreading the cream cheese mixture onto the tortilla.

After you have spooned a generous amount onto the centre, simply take your knife and spread the mixture, working from the centre to the outside as you go.

If you use small, soft strokes, you will find a rhythm, where with a bit of repetition you will be able to cover the tortilla with a layer.

Top Tip 4: Don't spread the mixture all of the way to the outsides, as it becomes messy to cut. Leave a slight boundary around the perimeter.

You will likely find that the filling on these is so firm that they don't need to be served with toothpicks.

You can however, have some on the plate, so that if they have sat there for a little while prior to consumption, the toothpicks can be used to firm the rounds up again.

When ready to serve, you can pop them on a plate and do the rounds with it.

They won't last long!

🍽 Serving Suggestions

These roll ups are best served at room temperature, or having just been removed from the fridge.

They don't really need a sauce as the filling is creamy, cheesy and delicious!

Have some napkins on hand and you are all set.

👍 How to Guide

How to Store

These roll ups are best stored in a sealed, air tight container.

They will last for up to 3 days.

If making in advance, keep the roll ups sealed in the plastic and cut on the day of serving. This will maintain their freshness.

How to Freeze

There are a number of pinwheel recipes can be be frozen. Oven Baked pinwheels do well being frozen after baking and then reheating.

My preference for this recipe however, is that they are made and served fresh, not frozen and thawed.

How to Reheat

These no bake pinwheels are served cold or at room temperature.

😉 Substitutions and Variations

There are many things that you can do to add, subtract or vary this recipe to your needs, try:

• Substituting cooked bacon for the ham.
• Using a combination of tortilla wraps, some white and some green.
• Adding shredded lettuce or spinach leaves.
• Use roast deli meats instead of the ham.
• Add some finely chopped raw onion to the cream cheese filling.
• Use turkey meat instead of or in additional to ham.
• Substitute cheddar cheese in place of the parmesan cheese.

Once you make it, you will find not only that you will want to make it again and again, but there will be other flavours and combinations, you simply cannot wait to try!

💡 Tasty Tips

These are my top tips and tricks, so that you get the recipe from the very 1st attempt:

• Purchase store bought shredded ham, it makes it so much easier!
• Contrast the filling with the tortilla colour, a pale filling needs a pop of colour.
• Grab the cream cheese out of the fridge to start so it softens.
• Use a soup spoon to stir the filling ingredients.
• Ensure that the filling is consistently combined prior to spreading.
• Use a butter knife to spread the cream cheese mixture into 1 layer.
• Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can.
• Wrap it firmly in cling wrap as this will ensure the roll ups are less messy when you cut them.
• If making in advance, keep them wrapped and cut on day of serving.

🤓 Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make cream cheese pinwheels the night before?

Yes! These cream cheese pinwheels can be made the night before.

Keep them wrapped in the cling film until about 5 minutes before serving. Then simply remove from the fridge, discard the plastic and cut into individual portions.

What do you use for roll ups?

Rolls ups can be made from a wide variety of ingredients.

Deli meats, cheese and vegetables are all popular choices.

They key is to choose ingredients that will not make the roll ups soggy.

Wet based ingredient such as tomato with seeds should be avoided as should high liquid (runny) sauces and spreads.

Can roll ups be made ahead of time?

Yes, roll ups can be made ahead of time.

If making the day before serving, simply keep them rolled up and cut on the day. This will maximise their freshness.

If cutting the pinwheels in advance, store in a sealed, air tight container.

How many calories are in a ham and cheese roll up?

There is approximately 107 kcal Calories per individual ham and cheese roll up.

The recipe uses 4 x large tortillas, each cut into 6 pieces.

How do you keep pinwheels from getting soggy?

Avoid using ingredients with a high moisture content, ie tomatoes.

Use thick sauces instead of thin sauces, which are likely to drip out of the pinwheels.

😍 More Easy Party Starter Recipes

This recipe is all about the quick, feed the people now. Some more recipes that work like this, both sweet and savory are:

• Roast Beef Roll Ups
• Chicken Rice Paper Rolls
• Peanut Butter Pinwheels
• Air Fryer Party Pies
• Pecan Pinwheels
• Air Fryer Frozen Mozzarella Sticks
• Air Fryer Frozen Samosa
• Easy Air Fryer Fish Fingers
• Golden Syrup Cornflake Cakes
• Coco Pop Crackles

Let's get our no bake on my friend!

Adrianne xx

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