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a plain plate of cold flour-tortilla pinwheels with clear tortilla spirals around finely crumbled browned beef, smooth pinto-bean and cream-cheese filling, fine orange cheddar shreds and tiny red-pepper dice, without lettuce, salsa or garnish
Melissa Hart

Taco Pinwheels

Cook the beef until the pan is almost dry before turning it into a cold filling; leftover taco juices are exactly what make a tortilla soft and gummy by the time a party starts. Mashed pinto beans help the seasoned meat cling to the cream cheese, so each cut round holds together without a toothpick. A small amount of finely diced red pepper adds crunch without the water you’d get from fresh tomatoes or salsa. Chill the beef before mixing, then chill the rolled tortillas again before cutting. That two-stage cooling is useful work, because warm beef melts the binder and makes the whole spiral slump.
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Prep Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 16
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup finely diced onion
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp mild chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1/2 cup canned pinto beans drained and mashed smooth
  • 4 oz plain cream cheese softened
  • 4 oz sharp cheddar finely shredded
  • 1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper blotted dry
  • 4 flour tortillas 10 inches across

Method
 

  1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and soften onion for 3 minutes. Add beef and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it into fine crumbs, until it reaches 160°F.
  2. Stir in cumin, chili powder, salt and water and cook for 2 minutes until the liquid evaporates. Spread beef in a shallow container and refrigerate promptly for 30 minutes until cold.
  3. Beat mashed pinto beans and cream cheese together. Fold in cold beef, cheddar and dry red pepper until evenly combined.
  4. Spread one-quarter of the filling over each tortilla, leaving a 1/2-inch strip bare at the far edge. Roll firmly toward that edge, wrap tightly and refrigerate for 60 minutes.
  5. Trim the uneven ends lightly and slice each roll into eight equal rounds, wiping the blade often. Serve 32 pinwheels, two per portion, and keep refrigerated in covered containers until serving.