Sunday, September 11, 2011

Pickle Wheels

In my family, there are two "appetizers" (and I use that term loosely) that we must have at every major holiday.  One is a salsa-tortilla roll-up thing that I may or may not post later... and the other high-class hors d'oeuvres are Pickle Wheels.  They're something that came into our family about twenty-five years ago, when my Aunt Yvonne showed up to a family holiday dinner with these scrumptious little morsels instead of deviled eggs or green bean casserole!  Pickle wheels - dill pickles smothered in cream cheese and then wrapped with the cheapest lunch meat you can find, Buddig's.  Everyone I've ever made these for has whole heartedly balked at the ludicrous idea... until they try them.  Once tried, it's very likely that it will become your favourite little snacky thingie EVER!  My mother would make gorgeous, delicious, decadent holiday dinners... lobster stuffed filet mignon, creamy holiday mashed potatoes with chives and cream and cheese, spinach-stuffed mushrooms... and she'd tell us that Pickle Wheels didn't go with her meal.  We'd whine and beg and plead until she allowed us to make them!  They are a must have at all our holidays... or, like tonight, just when my bro and I and our spouses get together for a game night.  -jen

I know this is ska and not punk, but what else could I use for this recipe except some Skankin' Pickle?!


PICKLE WHEELS
  • one jar Claussen whole dill pickles
  • 2 packs (8oz each) Philadelphia cream cheese, room temp
  • 4 packs Buddig's beef lunch meat slices
First, you need to dry your pickles by patting with a paper towel.  Then slice a few of the pieces of Buddig's beef evenly in half and set aside.


Using a butter knife, place a dollop of cream cheese on the end of a pickle.


Pat the cream cheese with the flat side of the knife to spread it evenly over the end of the pickle.  I find it easier to just pat it to spread it out than to try spreading it like you would butter on toast.  You want to cover it about an 1/8" thick.  Enough that pickle isn't showing through, but not too thick!

   (Insert dirty comment here)

Then place one half of the beef slice on the end, pressing it gently into the cream cheese.  This will give you a little of a less-messy hand hold on the pickle.  Repeat with the opposite end of the pickle.



Then smear the cream cheese on the exposed middle of the pickle, wrapping a slice of beef around as you go. I usually end up using two slices of beef to go around the middle of the pickle, in addition to the two halves at the ends.



Store pickles, whole, in the fridge for an hour or more to allow the cream cheese to firm back up.  You can make these a day ahead of time.


Then slice up into wheels and serve!


26 comments:

  1. I spread the cream cheese on the meat them roll the dried pickle up in it. A lot easier I would think.

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    1. Yeah, that's how our family has always done it as well.

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    2. My family & I Love these but we call them frog eyes!

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    3. My family & I Love these but we call them frog eyes!

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    4. Ya i would agree will kust spreading the cream cheese onto the ham

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    5. I'd absolutely agree with you if you're using regular lunch meat or ham. But we like to specifically use the uber-thin sliced Buddig's brand of meat, and that stuff tears with barely a touch of the fingers. Spreading the cream cheese over it just has never seemed to work, ya know? :)

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  2. We call them pickle roll-ups. But we used the Armours dried beef and Milwaukee's Best midgie pickles. Delicious!!!

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    1. I have no idea why we called them "pickle wheels" in our family. I like the "frog eyes" as stated below from the person in Missouri! Heheh!

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  3. We call them frog eyes in Missouri!

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  4. Dry the pickle and ham, spread the cream cheese on the ham and call them pickle wraps! That how I do!

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    1. If you're using ham, absolutely! But like I was just mentioning above, we prefer the Buddig's lunch meats, and those are just too thin to spread cream cheese on. :)

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    2. I've never had major problems spreading it on the ham. I use the same brand too. Yeah you get a tear every now and then... just patch it with more cream cheese lol. We also call them frog eyes

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    3. I've never had major problems spreading it on the ham. I use the same brand too. Yeah you get a tear every now and then... just patch it with more cream cheese lol. We also call them frog eyes

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  5. I make these, but use flour tortillas, too. Spread the cream cheese on the tortilla, layer meat on that, add thinly sliced cheese, then wrap around the pickle.

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    1. Awesome!!! The other regular thing we do, in addition to the pickles, is take some softened cream cheese, mix it with some salsa and/or finely diced jalapeños and green onions (sometimes I shred some carrot for more crunch). Then spread it on the flour tortillas, lay the Buddig's lunch meat over it, roll them up, refrigerate, and slice!

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    2. In my family, they are "Dirty Pickles" and we can't have a get-together without them!!!

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  6. My family has had these at thanksgiving since I was a child, but we always called them "redneck sushi" lol

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  7. My family makes a version of these, but we just wrap up a pickle in one sheet of ham, layered in cream cheese, so that the pickle is showing on one end, and call them goat peckers 😂

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  8. We call them pickle wraps and everyone loves them. We used dried beef. Then I got tired of the work and just started throwing it all into a blender and making a dip out of it.

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    1. Now, there's an idea! Awesome!

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    2. LOVE THIS IDEA! What is your ratio of dill pickles,to 2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, 2 pkgs of buddigs ham? OR, IDEA, use a jar or two of dill relish!! I think I may have to go get a dill pickle to eat now!!!

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  9. Lovely! I find proper names are too often missing from etymological treatments, so I was happy to see you mention Whewell (whom I was not familiar with). Sydney Cheap Tyres

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  10. My family loves these as well. We also love to wrap scallions (green onions) this way. Its the best.

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  11. In Minnesota, we call them pickle wraps, or Minnesota sushi

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