Antojitos

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Fall football has returned! I am so excited about football season and I know more than some of you are, too. Be ready for the game day action with a hot appetizer that won’t leave you sidelined in the kitchen. Tackle this easy recipe ahead of time so you can just warm and enjoy.  

Score some points with these creamy and addictive Antojitos, a Tex-Mex inspired appetizer that is budget friendly, but still filled with plenty of fun. Made from soft tortillas filled with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, jalapeño, bell pepper, and green onion, just roll them up and bake till they are hot and bubbly. Served with your favorite dipping sauce, they’re a quick, easy, and delicious way to kick-off the season. 

Antojitos are the fast foods prepared by street vendors and in the small traditional markets of Mexico. A Mexican Spanish word that means “little cravings,” they are typically foods not eaten at a formal meal. Many of Mexico’s most beloved foods are actually antojitos, aptly named because they are so good you crave them. 

Bite-sized finger food is a fan favorite – anything you can nibble on that won’t take too much of your attention off the game. Extra points for hot, creamy, and crunchy in no particular order. Don’t fumble: make the filling a day ahead and store it in your refrigerator, then make your Antojitos a few hours ahead and bake just before serving. Or, make and bake them well in advance and refrigerate or freeze them. They reheat well in a 350º F oven. 

Use any kind of tortilla that you like. Whole wheat, high-fiber, low carb or gluten-free, as well as flavored tortillas like jalapeño, spinach, or sun-dried tomato. Change up the filling. You can make these with less ingredients:  just the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and chopped jalapeño. Or, try cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of Everything Bagel Seasoning, or try adding cooked and crumbled bacon to the recipe below. Use more or less jalapeño to adjust the spice level to your liking. 

When you make your Antojitos, spread just a teensy bit of filling on the side of the tortilla where you plan to start rolling, but be careful to leave the half-inch around the remaining edges. Once you roll the first one, you’ll understand why you need to do this. Without the filling on the starter side, the tortilla will not stick. And if your tortilla is too full, or the filling is too close to the edges, the filling will spill out. Oh, and you may want to keep a clean paper towel handy to wipe your work surface, and any excess filling off your knife, as you go along. For easy cleanup, I used a parchment-lined sheet pan for baking and then transferred them to a cast iron skillet for serving. 

To store Antojitos, let them cool first. They will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can use the parchment-lined sheet pan you baked them on (once it’s cool) to freeze them in a single layer. Store in a resealable freezer bag labeled with the name and date, along with the reheating instructions written on the bag, as well. Reheat in the oven or an air fryer to restore the crispiness, at 350º F until hot (about 10 minutes if frozen). Serve with additional sour cream, salsa, or guacamole, or try sweet chili sauce, or hot honey. 

Get rolling. These jalapeño and cream cheese pinwheels are a crowd pleaser and are sure to score some points. 

Antojitos

• 8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tablespoons light sour cream, plus more for serving
• 1 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped fine
• 1-2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 green onion, finely minced
• 3-4 large tortillas
• olive oil spray, or olive oil to brush 

Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Add softened cream cheese and sour cream to a medium bowl and thoroughly combine using an electric hand  mixer. Add cheddar cheese, hot sauce, red pepper, jalapeño peppers, and green onion and mix on low speed, just until ingredients are mixed together. 

Using 1 tortilla at a time, spread mixture evenly over tortilla leaving about 1/2-inch around the perimeter so that filling doesn’t come out when you roll it. (The filling should easily spread between 3 tortillas, but can fill 4 if you spread it thinly.) Roll tortilla up tightly and set aside. Repeat with each tortilla. 

Working one roll at a time, score the surface of tortilla with a very sharp knife in 1” diagonal slices. Cut each of the score lines all the way through. Use your hands to pull the pinwheels apart very gently if needed. Arrange Antojitos on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with remaining rolls. Mist pinwheels with olive oil spray, or brush lightly with olive oil.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, turning halfway through for even baking. Turn oven to broil and continue to cook, watching closely, until tortillas are golden brown and filling is bubbly. Remove from oven and let cool 2-3 minutes. Serve with sour cream or your favorite dipping sauce. 

-littlehomeinthemaking.com