Even in my “I hate to cook” home, I don’t mind making these… for several reasons.
First, there’s ZERO cooking involved so there’s zero chance I’ll burn it! Second, they’re finger foods, so I can grab and go! Third, they’re super simple to put together! And finally… other than a few prep dishes, cleanup is minimal (ALWAYS a good combo in my house if you want ME to make something to eat!)
So, shall we get started?
First, the Ingredients
1 8-oz package of cream cheese
1 4-oz can of diced jalapenos (or fresh jalapenos, cooked to soften)
Mustard
8 tortillas (typical sized – not small or super-large)
16 slices of Muenster cheese (thin sliced)
16 slices of Virginia ham (thin sliced)
1/2 a small red onion, diced (optional)
Spinach leaves (optional) – roughly 16 large leaves
Ingredient Notes
* I use OLE Xtreme Wellness low carb tortillas that Fry’s (Kroger) carries here. If your local store doesn’t carry any, the Mama Lupe’s brand at Netrition is really good too. Or you can use regular if you prefer.
* My son doesn’t eat green stuff, so I don’t put spinach leaves on his
* Typically, I prefer fresh jalapenos over canned. But the canned ones make it spicier (because I don’t drain them before adding them to the cream cheese) AND, the canned ones take zero prep work… but they both turn out delicious!
* I use yellow mustard, because that’s what I always have on hand. I’m guessing brown (or even spicy) mustard, would still give you nearly the same result
Next, the Directions
I use the OLE Xtreme Wellness High Fiber Low Carb tortillas to make these. They’re available at my local Fry’s store. You can use whichever kind you prefer, but the softer the better. I found out how dry my favorites were when I made these for the first time. They don’t TASTE bad, they just make it more difficult to get them rolled up.
First, beat the jalapenos into the cream cheese. You can use a mixer if you prefer, but a fork works just fine. Once it’s mixed, spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture onto half a tortilla.
NOTE: You’re gonna have a little trial and error to start. You’ll know you’ve added too thick a layer when you roll one up and it does this…
If this happens, don’t worry. Wipe it off and use it anyway. I’ve never once had anyone complain about the flavor (or the look for that matter). And trust me. If my friends don’t like something I make, they have NO problem letting me know… because that’s the kind of friends I have… honest ones! 🙂
Add just a bit of mustard. Again, not a lot. It’s gonna spread out as you roll the tortillas up.
NOTE: If you’re adding spinach, this is where you want to put the spinach leaves. One or two large ones or about four baby ones are enough… just keep everything on half the tortilla.
Next, add the ham. A couple slice will do it. And it’s ok if they overlap a bit. Sometimes it only takes one slice. It just depends on how wide the slice is.
Add a couple slices of Muenster cheese to the wrap.
Next, add just a touch of the diced red onion. A little bit of onion goes a LONG way in these, so you don’t want to add a lot (unless of course you prefer an overwhelming onion flavor).
Now it’s time to start rolling. The first time I got to this point (several times), I made a huge mess of my counter, my hands, AND the wraps! Hopefully you’ll have more luck than I did my first few times!
Start from the edge, and roll the length of the tortilla as tightly as possible from edge to edge.
You’ll know when you slice them whether you did it right. If they’re not tight, there will be an open hole in the center of the slices (don’t worry though… they’re still just as tasty and I have yet to have anyone complain!).
Once you have a tortilla rolled, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least a few hours (I usually keep them in overnight). This gives the flavors time to meld together and lets everything stick together for easier slicing.
When you’re ready to slice them into bite size rolls, you can cut and plate as you go if you’ll be serving them soon.
If you’re planning to serve them someplace else (taking them to work for example), you can slice them and then re-wrap them. This just makes it easier when you don’t have as much room to store platters or you’re concerned someone may not keep the platters flat.
So, there you have it. Tortilla rollups, low carb style. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll tell you what I can. And let me know how they turn out if you try them out!
Take care,
Debi aka @GenXBrat
p.s. Be sure to subscribe for updates and to join in on the conversations!