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2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
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By: Rachel GurkPosted: 04/06/2015
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These Southwestern cream cheese tortilla rollups are great for lunches — or as a party appetizer! Read tips on how to customize them with your favorite flavors.
I’m not going to lie to you, the idea of packing lunches for my kids every day when they are in school kind of scares me. Okay, it really scares me.
Between food allergies and my kids’ general pickiness, it gives me a headache just thinking about it. I hate feeding my kids the same thing day after day after day after day so thinking of new ideas is very important to me.
I always try to give my kids protein, vegetables, and fruit at every meal. Might sound relatively simple but sometimes it requires creativity to think past mac and cheese with peas and a bowl of applesauce.
The great thing about a lunch like these cream cheese tortilla rollups is that you can customize them to fit the tastes of your kids. I use cream cheese, homemade taco seasoning, shredded cheese, black beans, and cilantro. The kids like to dip them in mild salsa or sour cream.
How to make these your own:
Use whatever you might have in your pantry. Here’s some ideas:
- Use a flavored cream cheese! I used plain cream cheese but chive and onion would be great. If your kids like things spicy, try jalapeño cream cheese.
- Use pinto beans instead of black beans.
- Use chopped green onions instead of cilantro.
- Add some finely diced red bell pepper (1/4 to 1/2 cup).
- If you’re an onion loving family, add some finely diced red onions (1/4 cup or so is probably good).
- Leave the beans out and throw in some leftover taco meat from taco night!
- Try dipping these in guacamole.
The trick to making these is to make them in advance. This helps you with getting those lunches made, but it will also help with the flavor and texture of these tortilla rollups. If you’ve ever made the classic pickle roll ups, you know what I’m talking about. The same goes for these vegetable cream cheese roll ups.
It allows the tortilla to soften slightly and the cream cheese to firm up. You can easily make these the night before, roll them up in plastic wrap, and all you’ll have to do the next day is slice them and add them to your lunch boxes.
Looking for more lunch ideas? Try:
- Vegetarian Wrap with Provolone and Hummus
- Ham, Egg, and Herb Wrap
- Greek Salad Recipe
- Southwestern Chopped Salad in a Jar
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Recipe
Get the Recipe: Southwestern Cream Cheese Tortilla Rollups
4.39 from 13 votesPrep Time: 15 minutes mins
Additional Time: 2 hours hrs
Total Time: 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
8 servings
Print Rate Recipe
These southwestern cream cheese tortilla rollups are great for lunches — or as a party appetizer! Read tips on how to customize them with your favorite flavors.
Ingredients
- one (8-ounce) container of plain spreadable cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 cup shredded Mexican style cheese (or sharp cheddar)
- 1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, optional
- 3-4 whole wheat tortillas (fajita size)
- for dipping: salsa, guacamole, Greek yogurt and/or sour cream
Instructions
In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together cream cheese and taco seasoning until well combined. Add shredded cheese and stir again until combined. Add black beans and cilantro, stirring again to combine. Try to avoid squishing too many of the black beans.
Spread this mixture onto a tortilla all the way to the edges in an even layer (you’ll use about 1/2 cup for each tortilla). Tightly roll up tortilla with the filling on the inside. Wrap in plastic wrap. Repeat until all tortillas are filled and rolled.
Place wrapped rolls in fridge and chill for at least 2 hours before slicing into pinwheels about 1/2-inch thick.
Serve with Greek yogurt or sour cream and salsa for dipping. Guacamole would be excellent too.
Notes
- Servingsize: 1/2 of a tortilla (about 3-4 roll-ups).
Nutrition Information
Serving: 3roll ups, Calories: 178kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 21mg, Sodium: 350mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Author: Rachel Gurk
**Disclosure:I am thrilled to be a dairy ambassador forMilk Means More.I have been compensated byMilk Means Morefor my time. All opinions are as always, my own. Find out more about why Milk Means More onTwitter,Facebook,YouTube,InstagramandPinterest.
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Reader Interactions
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Julia says
The cream cheese acts as a barrier to keep moisture from soaking the flour tortilla. Do make night before and wrap tightly in frig- makes ingredients blend and easier to slice. We are from New Mexico and usually make with fresh ham off the bone, hatch green chili, green onions, spices and mexi- blend shredded cheese.
Serve with guacamole, bean dips and sour cream.Reply
Rachel Gurk says
You’re making me hungry!
Reply
Laura says
Thank you! I am so excited to see your recipe, this is just what I need. I have started making a liquid tortilla, may I share the recipe? If you add less water and an egg/flax or real, it can make a flatbread:
Liquid Dough Tortillas
1-1/2 cups room temp water
2 Tbsp yogurt, milk of choice-plant, nut or other
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp oil/melted butter
1-1/2 cups flour (I have used Einkorn and spelt flours only, but I see no reason why A.P. flour and regular wheat flours should work also)
1/4 tsp turmeric pwdr*
7 grinds of black pepper*
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking pwdr
Oil or melted butter
1. I take a whisk and keep beating until lumps are gone. If you do the batter in a high-speed blender, put the water in first, otherwise do recipe in a large deep bowl.
2. Let batter sit 10 mins so flour absorbs liquid.
*Good for the brain, heart & prevents inflammation
Add ins: pinch of cayenne, taco seasoning, other herbs, onion pwdr, etcReply
Rachel Gurk says
Sounds interesting, thanks for sharing!
Reply
Ryan says
These look really good! I know my kids would like them!
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Liz@HoosierHomemade says
These will be perfect to pack for a picnic this Summer!
~Liz@HoosierHomemadeReply
Teresa Tottleben says
These are so good.. Love them. My question is ..Where did you find that lunch box??
Reply
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked them! The lunch box is a PlanetBox.
Reply
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen says
My boys would love these for an after school snack!
Reply
Elena Shetty says
This southwestern cream cheese tortilla rollups is a must have formula for any party from now on. It looks modest but way to noble. Absolutely love it!
Reply
denise says
yummy–I’d switch out the shredded cheese and use colby-jack because a family member is allergic (more of a food sensitivity) to cheddar.
Reply
I love this! My kiddos aren’t quite in school yet so I haven’t had to worry about school lunches just yet but I’m tucking this one away for when I do. I think this would also be great for potlucks this summer. Yum!
Reply
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