Try our easy cheese and tomato pinwheels, made with just five ingredients: puff pastry, cheese, garlic, Italian seasoning, and tomato sauce. They're so easy to make.
Great for any occasion, these cheese and tomato pinwheels are the perfect appetizer for sharing with friends or for taking to a potluck or a picnic. They are delicious, whether hot from the oven or at room temperature. Each bite is flavorful, as the cheesy, garlicky filling meets the flaky pastry.
Check out more quick snacks for your next party: Sandwich Pinwheels, Lamb Wraps, or Cucumber Wraps.
Ingredients: 5
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 15 minutes
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A 5-Ingredient Recipe (or substitutions)
Puff pastry: You can use one large rolled puff pastry rectangle from the refrigerator section of your grocery store or one or two frozen puff pastry rectangles. I had one refrigerated pastry sheet, which weighed 10 oz/275 g.
- If you use frozen puff pastry, thaw it according to the packet’s instructions. If it’s not already rolled, weigh about 10 oz/ 275 g and roll it into a rectangle about 18 inches/ 47 cm long and 10 inches/ 25 cm wide.
- Try our Easy Strawberry Turnovers or Peach Tarte Tatin, which are made with puff pastry, too.
Tomato sauce or tomato puree. If using puree, add some salt and pepper. You can use our Neapolitan Sauce, Italian Sugo, or Hearty Marinara Sauce to make the cheesy tomato pinwheels.
Cheese: I used grated Gouda. Just as delicious is Cheddar cheese, a mixture of mozzarella and Parmesan, or any other tasty and good-melting cheese you like.
Italian seasoning: You can substitute it with other dried herbs like oregano, thyme, or rosemary, and add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like.
Garlic: Add one large, grated garlic clove or more to taste. While you can leave it out, I rarely do, except when packing the tomato and cheese pinwheels for school or work lunch breaks.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations on the recipe
- Add some pesto or fresh basil leaves.
- Add some deseeded and diced tomatoes or finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the filling.
- Add cooked and crumbled bacon.
- To make pizza pinwheels, season the sauce with lots of oregano and add diced salami or ham to the filling.
- You can use pizza dough instead of puff pastry. However, pizza dough might have a different cooking time; check that the cheese and tomato pinwheels are cooked through.
How to make cheese and tomato puff pastry pinwheels?
Step #1: Unroll the puff pastry rectangle on the working surface (or thaw and roll it if it hasn't already been rolled). Add tomato sauce mixed with garlic.
Step #2: Sprinkle it with the Italian seasoning.
Step #3: Sprinkle the grated cheese all over.
Step #4: Starting at the bottom, roll the pastry into a thick and tight sausage. Using a very sharp knife, cut the sausage into 14 – 16 slices about ⅓ inches/1 cm thick (See tips below).
Step #5: Place the pinwheels on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Step #6: Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Rest for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.
Tips for baking the cheesy pinwheels
Refrigerate the filled and uncut pastry sausage for 30 minutes for easier cutting. It is not essential, but it helps.
For the best results, use two baking sheets and a convection oven (also called a fan oven) when baking the puff pastry scrolls. A convection oven lets you bake two batches of tomato and cheese pinwheels simultaneously, cutting down on your kitchen time.
Keep the slices that don’t fit on baking sheets in the fridge until you're ready to bake them. Leaving them out too long might make them spread too much.
Be sure to let the pastry rest for about 5 minutes on the trays before attempting to move them. This allows them to set and prevents them from breaking.
Prepare in advance
Fill and roll the puff pastry, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it until you are ready to cut and bake it. Chilling the pastry sausage for about 30 minutes also makes it easier to slice.
You can also freeze the prepared but uncooked pinwheels, but only if you used refrigerated puff pastry and not frozen and thawed pastry. Fill, roll, and cut the pinwheels, place them on a baking sheet in a single layer, and freeze them until solid. Once completely frozen, transfer them to freezer bags and freeze them for up to 3 months. Bake them from frozen, adding a few minutes to the baking time, until golden brown and cooked through.
Tip: Avoid letting the uncooked and frozen pinwheels thaw in the bag, as they will stick together and lose shape when you try to separate them.
Storage
Refrigerate leftover tomato and cheese pinwheels in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freeze the cooked pinwheels in freezer bags for up to 2 months. Defrost them in the fridge or on the counter, or place them in the hot oven (from frozen) and leave them until they are piping hot.
Prepare a picnic basket
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📖 Recipe
Cheese and Tomato Pinwheels (5 Ingredients)
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Two baking sheets
Ingredients
- 1 puff pastry sheet Notes 1, 2
- 4 tablespoons tomato sauce Note 3
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or other dried herbs
- 1 cup Cheddar or Gouda, grated, 120 g, Note 4
Instructions
- Preheat a convection oven to 375°F/ 180°C or a regular oven to 400°F/200°C. A convection oven allows you to bake two batches at a time, thus reducing your time in the kitchen.
- Prepare puff pastry: Unroll the puff pastry rectangle on the working surface. If frozen, thaw it according to the packet’s instructions. If not already rolled, roll the puff pastry into a rectangle about 18 inches/ 47 cm long and 10 inches/ 25 cm wide.1 puff pastry sheet
- Mix the tomato sauce (or seasoned tomato puree) with grated garlic and spread it over the pastry.4 tablespoons tomato sauce + 1 large garlic clove
- Add: Sprinkle it with the Italian seasoning and grated cheese.1 teaspoon Italian seasoning + 1 cup Cheddar / 120 g
- Cut pinwheels: Starting at the bottom, roll the puff pastry into a thick and tight “sausage.” Using a very sharp knife, cut it into 14 – 16 slices about ⅓ inches/1 cm thick (refrigerate the uncut sausage for 30 minutes for easier cutting).
- Arrange the tomato and cheese pinwheels on the prepared baking sheets. Keep the slices that don't fit on the baking sheets refrigerated until it's time to bake them; they may spread too much if left at room temperature for too long.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Let them rest on the baking trays for about 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool.
Notes
- Puff pastry: One large rolled puff pastry rectangle from the refrigerator section of your grocery store or one or two frozen puff pastry rectangles, depending on their size. I had one sheet of refrigerated pastry, which weighed 10 oz/ 275 g and was about 18 inches/ 47 cm long and 10 inches/ 25 cm wide.
- Frozen puff pastry: If you use frozen puff pastry, thaw it according to the packet’s instructions. If it’s not already rolled, weigh about 10 oz7 275 g and roll it into a rectangle about 18 inches/ 47 cm long and 10 inches/ 25 cm wide.
- Substitute tomato sauce with the same amount of tomato puree seasoned generously with salt and pepper.
- Cheese: You can also use a combination of mozzarella and Parmesan or any other tasty, good-melting cheese you like.
Jamison says
Amazing, thank you!
Adina says
I am glad you liked them!