Jalapeno Pickle Roll-Ups offers a spicy twist to your average pickle roll-up with the addition of pickled jalapenos.
If you’re a Minnesotan (or fellow Midwestern neighbor), you already know. You’ve eaten dozens of these things, and you LOVE them (at least I hope you do).
The Pickle Roll-Up. Or maybe you know it by the pickle wrap, the pickle dog, or my personal favorite, Minnesota sushi! Spread deli meat with cream cheese, plunk a pickle in the middle, wrap it up, and there you have it. Simple, humble, delicious. A tacky, tongue-in-cheek nod to actual sushi (maybe… probably?).
That’s a Midwestern home cook for you though. Take a few humble ingredients, put ‘em together, and transform it into something weirdly delicious.
I love the weirdly delicious Pickle Roll-Up. Even though they cost like $7 bucks at the Minnesota State Fair (where they call ‘em pickle dogs), I always get one. The tart vinegary-ness of the pickle against the cool, rich cream cheese, neatly wrapped up in pastrami is inexplicably refreshing when you’ve been eating fried food all day.
But it should go without saying that Pickle Roll-Ups are good any day. Like days like today. When it’s mid-March and you’re ready for the snow to melt so you can ditch the clunky boots and shed some layers.
Get Zesty
I decided to spice things up a bit, by adding pickled jalapenos to the traditional recipe to create Jalapeno Pickle Roll-ups. Literally, 4 ingredients to achieve spicy pickle roll-up greatness.
Since there are so few ingredients, I encourage you to use the best quality you can find for each. I’m all about Claussen pickles, Philadelphia cream cheese, and freshly sliced deli pastrami.
As for the pickled jalapenos, I’m obsessed with the San Marcos brand (as an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases). What separates these from your standard pickled jalapeno is the canola oil they add to the mix. It gives the jalapeno juice a slightly oily quality that pairs beautifully with the cream cheese. Also, it makes a great homemade vinaigrette base.
If you crave spicy foods like I do, I know you’ll love these Jalapeno Pickle Roll-ups. Just look at ’em. Weirdly delicious. 100%.
If you like these Jalapeno Pickle Roll-Ups, you’ll love:
Jalapeno Pickle Roll-Ups
Ingredients
- 8 spears Claussen pickles
- 8 slices deli-sliced pastrami*
- 1 8 ounce package Philadelphia cream cheese
- 2 pickled jalapenos
- 3 tsp pickled jalapeno juice
Instructions
- Add softened cream cheese to a mixing bowl.
- Lay 8 pickle spears on paper towels to remove excess liquid.
- Add 2 whole pickled jalapenos and 3 teaspoons of the pickling liquid and to a food processor. Process for around 20-30 seconds, until pretty much pulverized.
- Add the pulverized jalapenos to the cream cheese.
- Mix until well incorporated. A hand mixer can be your friend here, getting you a light, creamy, and wonderfully spreadable texture with minimal effort. Or if it’s arm day, use a fork to mix.
- Lay out a slice of pastrami onto a cutting board. Spread a generous tablespoon of the jalapeno cream cheese mixture onto the pastrami(it’s okay to leave a bit of the edges unslathered, your goal is to focus on getting an even layer in the center).
- Place one pickle spear in the center. Wrap one edge of the deli meat over the pickle and continue rolling until you can’t roll anymore.
- Place your Jalapeno Pickle Roll Up in a container, seam side down. Repeat until you’ve used up all of the cream cheese.
- Refrigerate for a few hours, so the cream cheese has a chance to firm up.
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