Olive, Chorizo, and Red Pepper Pinwheels

Olive, Chorizo, and Red Pepper Pinwheels – Classic appetizer with a Spanish flare that unites the flavors of red peppers, chorizo, and green olives.

For as long as I can remember, Mom2 threw epic Christmas Eve parties. Everyone was invited; family, friends, neighbors, friends of friends of family of neighbors, and the random stray she met at the grocery store.

These weren’t low key affairs where people moseyed in wearing their pre-hipster Ugly Christmas Sweaters. These were planned out events. Caroling. A visit from Santa. Holiday games. And Food!

Oh the food.

Everyone usually brought a dish to share, but Mom2 always prepared enough food on the off chance no one showed up with a dish in hand. All the standard party foods made an appearance: veggie platters, chips and dip, mini-smoked sausages in bbq with grape jelly, mini-meatballs in marinara, cookies and candies of every kind, flavor, and creed, stuffed mushrooms, and hot chocolate.

One of my favorite things she made were these pinwheels with cream cheese, olives, and other goodies on a soft flour tortilla. These things were so delicious.

Now that the holidays are upon us and I’m all grown up (chronologically, not maturity-wise) and hosting my own parties, I knew these pinwheels had to be on my buffet table. But being me, I had to jazz them up a bit and give them some kind of international flare.

Cooking With Spanish Flavors

Bring on the Spanish flavors. I love Mezzetta’s Spanish Queen Olives with pimentos, so those were my first swap out from Mom2’s black olives. I decide Spanish chorizo and roasted red peppers were also a great way to kick these up a notch.

The cream cheese exchange was where things got dicey for me. I love cream cheese. And by love, I mean I can open a package and pull off a chunk and eat it straight. So I was less inclined to part with it, but in the end, I opted to use those 30-calorie creamy cheese wedges in Garlic-Herb flavor.  They may not be exactly Spanish, but it worked perfectly.

These are super easy to assemble, the longest portion of prep is cooking the sausage, but that cooks up pretty quickly. These Olive, Chorizo, and Red Pepper Pinwheels are bound to be a hit at your holiday party.

Appetizer Recipes That Contain Sausage

Chorizo and Sweet Potato Quesadillas with Chipotle Lime Crema

Sausage Wild Rice Stuffed Mushrooms

Sausage Stuffed Poblanos with Lime Crema

Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Dip

Maple Whiskey Glazed Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies

Olive, Chorizo, and Red Pepper Pinwheels

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican/American

Keyword: Appetizer, chorizo, olive, Party Food

Servings: 28 -30

Author: Michelle De La Cerda

Classic appetizer with a Spanish flare that unites the flavors of red peppers, chorizo, and green olives.

Print

Ingredients

• 3-5 links Spanish chorizo; casings removed
• 4-0.75 ounce creamy garlic-herb cheese wedges
• 4 flour tortillas; burrito size
• 1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers
• 1/2 cup diced Mezzetta Spanish Queen Olives with Pimentos

Instructions

1. Remove the casings from the sausage, crumble as finely as possible, and add the meat to a pan over medium-high heat. Cook until done, about 5 or so minutes.
2. Drain off any rendered grease.
3. Spread one cheese wedge over one flour tortilla, making sure the cheese is evenly spread to the edge.
4. Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp of both diced roasted red peppers and olives, spacing them out evenly.
5. Sprinkle 2 tbsp cooked crumbled chorizo.
6. Roll the tortilla as tightly and thinly as possible.
7. Slice off both ends and discard.
8. Slice about 1-inch slices; making approximately 7 pinwheels per tortilla.
9. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Thank you for sharing!