Ham Cream Cheese Pickle Pinwheels (Printer-friendly)

Smoky ham, creamy cheese, and tangy pickles rolled into bite-sized pinwheels for a quick appetizer.

# What You'll Need:

→ Main

01 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
02 - 8 large slices deli ham (approximately 8 ounces)
03 - 6 large whole dill pickles

→ Flavor Enhancers (optional)

04 - 1 teaspoon fresh dill, finely chopped
05 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - In a small mixing bowl, incorporate softened cream cheese with chopped dill, garlic powder, and freshly ground black pepper until the mixture is smooth and evenly blended.
02 - Dry the dill pickles thoroughly using paper towels to eliminate excess moisture.
03 - Lay a slice of deli ham flat on a clean cutting board. Spread a thin, even coat of the seasoned cream cheese mixture across the surface of the ham.
04 - Position a whole dill pickle at one edge of the ham slice. Roll tightly from that end to enclose the pickle within the ham and cream cheese.
05 - Repeat the spreading and rolling process with the remaining ham slices, cream cheese mixture, and pickles.
06 - Using a sharp knife, cut each roll crosswise into 1/2-inch thick pinwheels.
07 - Transfer pinwheels to a serving platter. Serve immediately or refrigerate until presentation.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These pinwheels disappear in minutes, but prepping them requires almost no effort.
  • The bright crunch of pickles layered with creamy cheese keeps every bite interesting, so they never feel boring.
02 -
  • If you skip drying the pickles, the pinwheels get watery and messy—trust me, I learned this after a lunchtime rush.
  • Using a beautifully sharp knife for slicing prevented smashed rolls and gave those tidy, tempting spirals everyone loves.
03 -
  • Let your cream cheese come to room temperature; cold cheese tears ham and makes spreading difficult.
  • Slicing with a sawing motion, rather than pressing, keeps the spirals crisp and intact.
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