PINWHEEL APPETIZERS WITH OLIVES AND CHEESE.

Most people would make these appetizers for a party and I'm no different. I make them up, stick them in the freezer and pull them out to bake whenever I'm having a party for one. ;) They're also great for the holidays.

Pinwheel Appetizers with Olives & Cheese

Skip right to the recipe.

It is, indeed, the most wonderful time of the year.  No matter what your race, religion or creed, over the next month we will be enveloped in a blanket of the one thing that brings us all together.  The one thing we can all agree on, admire, cherish and worship.

Finger foods.

Calorie laden, diet busting appetizers made with a mixture of ingredients that would normally raise equal parts eyebrow and bile.  But during this, the most wonderful time of the year?   Bacon and sweetened condensed milk rolled into a ball with a shot of Worcestershire sauce makes perfect sense.  You betcha.  For real. It's delicious.

Christmas Eve is my holiday at The Art of Doing Stuff homestead. I've hosted it for my family for the past 17 years or so and almost all of those have been a festival of appetizers.  The only one who doesn't quite understand the whole appetizers as a meal thing is my sister Pink Tool Belt.  It confounds her.  I believe it has to do with an unnatural fear of eating without cutlery which would also explain her history of being suspicious of pizza, corn on the cob and gum.

I actually come from a long line of appetizer lovers, as most of us do.  Our families' most recent encounter with appetizers dates all the way back to 4 months ago when we celebrated Aunt Jean's 103 rd birthday with a party.  (you can read my Q&A with her on her 100th birthday here) Birthday parties become less important from the ages of 22-99.  Those are the in between years.  Once you hit 100 though, you look forward to every event that warrants the possibility of a surprise stripper showing up.  Plus, cake.

It was at that event, Aunt Jean's birthday, that I was introduced to these Pinwheel appetizers with olives and cheese.  Oh!  And curry.  And mayonnaise.  Again with the slightly incongruent ingredients.

There are only 5 ingredients.  Black olives, onions, cheese, mayo and curry powder.

You mix everything together and spread it on a whole wheat tortilla and roll them up.  Apparently the original recipe called for you to spread this mixture on english muffins.  It also called for salt.  There is no need for salt. The mixture is filled with cheese and olives.  That's enough salt for anyone's tastebuds.

After refrigerating the rolls to firm them up a bit you slice 'em, bake 'em and then eat 'em.  With your fingers.  No cutlery.

You may eat them with a wood stick if you insist.

They're warm and gooey with just a hint of curry.  And the best part, the best part is ...

YOU CAN MAKE THEM AHEAD AND FREEZE THEM.

Also,

THE MIXTURE REFRIGERATES PERFECTLY.

Also they're Chanukah compatible!

That's right. I didn't forget my Jewish friends getting ready to start their holiday celebrations.  To make the Star of David pinwheels just squish the sliced circles into a triangle shape before you bake them.  They'll expand a bit in the oven so as soon as you take them out, squish them back into shape.

Round or triangular, either way, they'll spice up any holiday party.  Just like a stripper.

Pinwheel Appetizers with olives and cheese

This 5 ingredient easy appetizer can be made ahead and frozen, or store the spread in the fridge and make them on demand!

4 from 13 votes

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Course: Appetizer

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 50 pieces

Author: Karen Bertelsen

Ingredients

• 1 cup black olives chopped
• ½ cup sliced green onions Videla work well too
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon curry powder
• 7 large whole wheat tortillas

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Mix ingredients together  and spread in a thin layer on tortilla.
• Roll tortilla up tightly and refrigerate to firm up.
• Remove from fridge after approximately 1 hour and slice into bite sized pieces.
• Bake for 10 minutes until warmed through and cheese is melted.

Notes

To make ahead, after rolling up tortillas, wrap in plastic and freeze.

The spread can be made ahead alone, and refrigerated for up to a week.