Easy Muffuletta Party Pinwheels Recipe

With life being so busy and with so much to celebrate all year round, it is worthwhile to have a few simple, party-friendly recipe ideas up your sleeve for when the occasion arises. This easy muffuletta party pinwheels recipe, from the kitchen of recipe developer Jennine Rye, is perfect for the job. Requiring only 15 minutes of hands-on work before the pastry is chilled and then baked, these pinwheels are almost as simple as it gets, and they make a wonderful finger food that can be enjoyed either cold or warm from the oven.

These muffuletta party pinwheels are inspired by the New Orleans cold cut classic, the muffuletta sandwich. However, instead of the delicious fillings being loaded into the wondrously light and fluffy Italian muffuletta bread, they are served up surrounded by flaky buttery pastry. With a layer of olive tapenade, slices of salami, and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, these pinwheels are packed with the taste of the New Orleans classic. These are the perfect party food to pass around to anyone who enjoys the flavors of the iconic muffuletta sandwich.

To begin this easy muffuletta party pinwheels recipe, first, you will need to gather the ingredients. You will want a pack of ready-rolled puff pastry, olive tapenade, sliced salami, grated Parmesan, and a beaten egg.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll out the puff pastry onto a clean surface.

Spread the olive tapenade onto the pastry, making sure to get it to the edges.

Top the olive tapenade with slices of salami.

Sprinkle over the grated Parmesan.

Using your hands, carefully roll the pastry into a tight sausage shape.

Wrap the log and place the pastry into the fridge for 15 minutes.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and carefully slice it into thin rounds.

Place the pinwheels onto the prepared baking sheet.

Brush the pinwheels with egg wash using a pastry brush.

Bake for 12 – 14 minutes until golden and puffed up.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

While it is simple to substitute the ingredients in a sandwich according to your preferences, it is a little trickier to switch out ingredients in this muffuletta pinwheel recipe. However, there are still options available to you. If you wish to adapt this recipe, first and foremost you'll need to make sure any fillings used are either flat, spreadable, or very fine. This is because the puff pastry will easily become overfilled and be impossible to roll up and slice, and will not cook up into neat pinwheels.

While a classic muffuletta sandwich is typically made using Giardiniera; an Italian condiment of pickled vegetables, we didn't include that in this recipe due to the chunky consistency of the mixture. If you would prefer to use this however, it can be added to a food processor and blended into a very fine paste before being thinly spread onto the pastry. The salami in this recipe can easily be substituted for other cold cut deli meats such as mortadella, ham, or any preferred lunch meat. Similarly, the Parmesan can be substituted for other grated cheese. We recommend using medium to hard cheeses that have a slightly stronger flavor, as you will only need a very fine layer. A sharp provolone, cheddar, or even Gruyère would make for delicious alternatives in this puff pastry pinwheel recipe, and each will result in delicious finger food for your party.

While it's unlikely that you'll have any remains from these highly devourable muffuletta pinwheels, it is worth knowing how to store any potential leftovers. Due to the fillings of these pinwheels, they should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container, and any leftovers should be consumed within 3 days. However, puff pastry cold from the fridge isn't as enjoyable, and the refrigeration process will remove the crisp quality of the pinwheels. To return them to their best, they should be reheated. Simply place them into a preheated oven or into your air fryer for a few minutes, and the crispy flaky quality of the pinwheels will be restored. We recommend avoiding the microwave though, as this will simply make the pinwheels unpleasantly soggy.

Should you wish to make these pinwheels in advance, it is also possible to follow the recipe up until the pastry log has been formed. Then, simply wrap it well before placing it into the freezer, ready for future parties. When you wish to use it, simply allow the pastry to thaw enough that you can slice individual pinwheels (this process is actually easier when semi-frozen) and then bake them in the oven for a minute or two longer, to produce perfectly golden, party-ready pinwheels.