Muffaletta Pinwheels have all the flavors of the iconic New Orleans sandwich. Salami, ham, mortadella, cheese, and olive relish combine to make a tasty appetizer.
The Muffalaetta has become a very famous sandwich and for good reason. Salvatore Lupo of Central Grocery in New Orleans is credited with inventing the muffaletta sandwich. Apparently he needed a way to use up the olives left at the bottom of a barrel.
These chilled tortilla roll-ups have a creamy cream cheese base. They couldn’t be easier to make, plus they can be made well in advance. It’s best to wait until shortly before serving to slice them because it’s harder to keep them wrapped well once sliced and the tortillas will dry out over time.
These Muffaletta Pinwheels are perfectly creamy and full of bold flavors. The saltiness of both the meat and the olive salad makes them a totally craveable appetizer. Cut into pinwheels, you have a finger-friendly party food that’s so much less messy to eat than a muffaletta sandwich.
Recipe Tip:
For best results, use a sharp serrated knife to slice the pinwheels.
Try these other Muffaletta-inpired recipes:
- Muffaletta Sandwiches– this is my take on the famous sandwich
- Muffaletta Dip– a cold dip that’s great with pita chips
- Muffaletta Salad– this salad is full of meats and cheese
- Muffaletta Pizza– a delicious pizza with muffaletta-based toppings
- Muffaletta Panini– all the muffaletta ingredients in a warm, crispy sandwich
Muffaletta Pinwheels
Ingredients
Olive Salad
- 1/2 cup chopped green olives
- 1/2 cup chopped black olives
- 1/3 cup chopped roasted red peppers
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Pinwheels
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese,, softened
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 5 large flour tortillas
- 1/2 pound thinly sliced deli ham
- 1/2 pound thinly sliced genoa salami
- 1/2 pound thinly sliced mortadella
- 1/3 pound sliced provolone cheese
- whole kalamata olives,, optional
Instructions
- Combine all olive salad ingredients together in a bowl. Refrigerate until needed.
- Using a hand-held mixer, beat cream cheese and garlic powder until fluffy and smooth.
- Spread tortillas with cream cheese, dividing it evenly between the 5 tortillas.
- Spread a layer of olive salad on each tortilla and top with layers of ham, salami, mortadella, and provolone, dividing each ingredient evenly between the tortillas.
- Roll each tortilla up tightly and wrap in plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is fine).
- Slice each tortilla roll. Top with an olive and toothpick if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I would like to serve these for one of our tea sandwiches for 200-250 people. May I please have some guidance on what size “large” tortillas you use—-ie. Soft Taco size, Burrito size, etc. or better yet, how many inches in diameter are the tortillas? How many pieces do you get from each pinwheel roll? It seems like this should make many more than 12 individual pinwheels! This tea is a fundraiser to provide clothing, books, and other services to children in need. I will appreciate your help in making the tea successful!
Did anyone else have trouble rolling these up? Followed directions but maybe needs to be more clear on how to make a pinwheel. All of my filling was coming out – didn’t fill too far to edges and had single layer of each thing. Suggestions? Thanks