Mom-Inspired Feta & Olive Pinwheels

Revisiting a favorite 90s appetizer for Mother's Day

I always seem to return to the same types of recipes when I think of my mom. Last year it was a cheese ball, years prior it was her collection of Junior League cookbooks, filled to the brim with their layered dips and baked cheesy things. Of course her cooking was much more than that, but appetizers were a standout.

In that vein I’ve had these “Mexican Roll-Ups” on my mind. In fact, they’re the first thing I think of when I picture her in the kitchen getting ready to have people over — a whole assembly line for rolling them up, wrapping them in Saran wrap, then stacking them in a pyramid in the fridge.

They’re basically a cream cheese pinwheel using a store-bought flour tortilla, with the “Mexican” thrown in there I suppose because of the tortillas, canned green chiles, and Pace Picante Sauce they were dipped in (a common offense of the mainstream recipes of the time). There’s definitely a good amount of cheese, but in addition to that the main principle is that the filling be punchy and flavorful.

I love that my mom could never spell “Worcestershire” on the first try, either

I can’t find the recipe’s origin (update: thank you,

Andrew Janjigian

: the origin appears to be the ARAM sandwich, which just celebrated its 50th birthday) but I suspect the Philadelphia Cream Cheese test kitchen might have been behind it — there are plenty of variations floating around online. (Do you make them, or did you grow up eating them?) In her file, the handwritten slip, which she xeroxed often to share with friends, was always near the top of the stack.

I wasn’t sure how these would hold up to my memory, but I love them! As a 90s kid who for the longest time believed a cheese quesadilla was made in the microwave, the texture of a cold flour tortilla simply doesn’t bother me. But if that sounds unappetizing, I still think there’s a case to be made.

A flour tortilla carries the filling but adds a unique density of texture, too. I’m currently in Australia, where tortillas are a little trickier to find, and tried this out on a much thinner wrap. It just didn’t work — the flour tortilla is needed to help balance out the richness of the filling.

I so enjoyed revisiting this recipe and channeling Mom as I cooked these this week. It was a reminder that while ceremonies around eating have their own ways of keeping memories alive, so does the cooking and the physicality it entails. In fact I didn’t mind the buzzing fluorescent light overhead in this Airbnb kitchen, or the formica’s glare; they just helped to set the scene.

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Feta & Olive Tortilla Pinwheels

• For a vegan, non-cheese direction, fill these with a doubled recipe of my Caper-Tofu Whip, adding olives and parsley. Delicious and just as easy.

• I’ve tried these with super thin wraps and they don’t work as well — aim for anything that’s pliable, and about the thickness of a flour tortilla.

• Some suggested swaps: Dill and/or cilantro for the parsley, goat cheese for the feta. Add some heat with a few pinches of dried chili or a finely minced fresh one.

Yield 6 to 8 servings | Prep time About 30 minutes | Resting time At least an hour

7-ounce block feta, ideally one packed in brine
4 ounces cream cheese (half an 8-oz package)
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
½ cup olives, pitted and coarsely chopped (about 15, I like castelvetranos)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
6 large flour tortillas or other thin, pliable flatbread (but not too thin)
Salsa or Tomato and Pepper Dipping Sauce (recipe below), for serving

1. In a mixing bowl, use a fork to mash the feta, cream cheese, and yogurt together until combined, then stir in the olives, scallions, capers, and a few grinds of black pepper. (You can also do this in the food processor, blending the cheeses together first, then pulsing in the remaining ingredients.)

2. Working one at a time, spread a thin layer of the cheese filling over a tortilla, about 3 tablespoons, then roll it up into a snug log. Wrap in parchment, twisting the ends closed, or cling wrap. Pack them into a resealable container or bag and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour and up to 3 days. 

3. To serve, slice the roll-ups into 1-inch pieces and pile them on a serving platter, with the tomato sauce nearby for dipping.

Tomato and Pepper Dipping Sauce

Yield 2 cups

15-ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes
1 roasted red pepper, diced
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon olive oil 
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a low simmer and cook until the sauce thickens and the gurgling starts to make a more pronounced pop, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Recipe: Feta & Olive Tortilla Pinwheels

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