Ham, Cheese, and Veggie Tortilla Pinwheels

 I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas! We are still in the holiday season so I thought I'd share yummy Ham and Cheese Tortilla Pinwheels, (or roll-ups), with you . I made these several times before Christmas for various parties and gatherings. Even though these type of recipes date back to the 80's or so, they are still delicious, and festive little appetizers when sliced and plated, or they can be cut in half and served for lunches or carried in lunch boxes. You can use any type of deli meats and cheeses. For these I also added leaf lettuce and red bell pepper that had been cut in thin strips. Stack each ingredient evenly across the tortillas, and then roll each one up as tightly as possible to keep stuff from falling out. Then enjoy these pretty, festive roll-ups whatever the occasion. Here's my method.

Ham, Cheese and Veggie Tortilla Pinwheels (or roll-ups!)
From Lynda's Recipe Box
Note: you can mix herbs into 8 ounces of plain cream cheese to use, or you may purchased the herbed cream cheese from your local store. Deli meats should be thinly sliced or even shaved. Count your meat and cheese slices so you can evenly divide it among the 8 tortillas. Makes 8 rolls.

Ingredients:
1 package of burrito sized tortillas- I used the spinach flavor tortillas. They add a nice touch of color.
8 ounces softened cream cheese, mixed with about 1 tablespoons fresh, chopped green onion or chives, and 1 tbls. parsley. Or to save time, buy the herbed cream cheese from your market.
1/2 pound thinly sliced deli ham, or other meat of choice,
1/2 pound sliced Provolone cheese, or cheddar or other cheese of choice
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
leaf lettuce, washed and large ribs cut out

To assemble Tortilla Rolls:
Lay tortillas out on a flat surface. With a knife, spread the softened cream cheese mixture thinly over the tortillas. The cream cheese is going to act like a glue to hold everything together.
Now at the end closest to you, start the layering. Lay out a couple of slices of ham that are folded in half, next cover with cheese, then the lettuce and ending with some sliced bell pepper. These ingredients will be stacked on top of each other, hopefully evenly all the way across.
Now, start rolling the tortilla and holding firmly to the ingredients as you roll, until each tortilla is rolled all the way. When rolled all the way, the cream cheese should hold it together. Wrap each rolled tortilla in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight. To serve, remove the plastic wrap and cut the ends off of each tortilla rolls. Cut the roll into 8 equal slices and place on a serving tray. Enjoy!

Tortilla Pinwheel Appetizers

 I know, Tortilla Pinwheels have been around for years, but they are still a great appetizer to have in your arsenal. I've been making them for years and these pinwheels are always devoured. Cream cheese with sour cream, cheese, chilies, olives and green onions - whats not to love? They are a wonderful holiday appetizer and best served the day they are made. Here's my recipe.

Tortilla Pinwheel Appetizers
slightly adapted from and old Taste of Home recipe
Note: These should be made several hours before they are served. While they can be made a day ahead, the tortillas get really soft on the second day.

1 8 ounce package cream cheese- softened
1 cup sour cream- I use low fat
1 4 ounce can chopped black olives
1 4 ounce can chopped green chilies
1/2 half a large red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup diced green onions
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
5 large tortillas, (10 inch, burrito size) plain or flavored - I used Missions Jalapeno Cheddar Wraps

In a large bowl, cream the softened cream cheese. I used a mixer for this. Mix in the sour cream, and then the remaining ingredients by hand, except the tortillas. Divide the cream cheese filling evenly among the 5 tortillas and spread over the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas as tightly as possible with out squeezing out the filling. Wrap in plastic wrap and leave in the fridge, until cold, at least a couple of hours.When ready to serve, cut off the ends of the tortilla wraps. The filling won't be in the very ends, so they aren't needed. Slice the Tortilla Pinwheels into slices with a sharp knife,  and arrange on a serving platter. I cut into about 3/4 inch slices. Serve along side your favorite salsa if desired. For several years we have had appetizers for our Christmas Eve together, and Tortilla Pinwheels are usually there. Hope you enjoy!

Tijuana Torte (a Mexican-style casserole)

While flipping through an old recipe book of mine, called "Some of the Best Recipes Ever Assembled into One Cookbook", I came across this Mexican-style casserole that I used to make often. While it wasn't a favorite of our kids, my husband has always loved it. Truthfully, it isn't my favorite Mexican casserole, but I do enjoy it as it has a layer of sour cream that really sets the Tex-Mex flavors off. I always put the canned tomatoes in the blender to pulse, because my family doesn't like chunky tomatoes in their food. Picky, I know, but I do what needs to be done to get people to eat! This easy casserole is layered like a lasagna and is mild in flavor. It calls for stewed tomatoes, which are somewhat sweet, but I sub diced tomatoes most of the time. Use whichever you prefer. I hope you enjoy this flavorful casserole.

TIJUANA TORTE

Ingredients:

1 pound ground chuck or ground round beef

1 medium onion, diced

1- 15 ounce can can diced tomatoes, or stewed tomatoes (I pulse them in the blender)

1 - 8 ounce can tomato sauce

1 -4 ounce can diced green chilies

1 package taco seasoning

flour or corn tortillas- I used 18 fajita sized flour tortillas,(6 for each layer), but any size will work

about 1 cup of sour cream

1 pound freshly grated cheddar cheese

1. Brown ground beef and onion in a skillet; drain off any fat from the meat. Add the rest of the ingredients to the meat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Place 1/4-1/2 cup of mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch non reactive baking pan. Place a layer of tortillas over that.

3. Place about 1/3 of the meat mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

4. Add another layer of tortillas, and then a layer of meat sauce. Cover with more cheese; then dollop with all of the sour cream and gently spread out.

5. Lastly, cover with the rest of the tortillas, the meat sauce and the rest of the cheese.

6. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.

Remove from oven and let cool about 10-15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

NOTE: I usually make this casserole in 3 layers, but it would work well in 2 layers, if preferred.