Ham Pickle Roll Ups, aka Minnesota sushi, is a simple appetizer made from deli ham smeared with cream cheese wrapped around a pickle. To make these pickle rolls even tastier, try seasoning the cream cheese with ranch dressing or everything bagel seasoning!
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Ready for an easy appetizer recipe that takes minutes to make?
Ham and pickle roll-ups are ridiculously simple, insanely delicious, and the perfect appetizer for pretty much anywhere you're going.
Maybe it's a Midwest thing, but if there's a gathering of any sort and there aren't tortilla pinwheels, buffalo chicken dip, and ham and pickle rollups, aka Minnesota sushi, you really can't call it a party.
The basic recipe involves smearing cream cheese over a slice of ham, rolling the ham around a pickle, then cutting the roll into bite-sized appetizers.
If you have an extra minute, stir dry ranch mix or everything bagel seasoning into the cream cheese, skewer the rolls on toothpicks, and add an olive, pickle slice or both.
The best thing about making these pickle wraps is cutting off the uneven ends and eating them while everyone thinks you're toiling away in the kitchen ;).
Why You're Going to Love This Recipe
Tasty snack everyone will go bonkers for
Perfect make ahead appetizer for baby showers, holidays, family get-togethers, and game day
Pickle lovers will adore you for bringing these to parties
Easy recipe for after-school snacks kids can make themselves
Ingredients
Simple ingredients you might already have at home
Ham slices. Thin slices of deli ham are the classic choice for these Minnesota sushi rolls. If the slices of ham are really thin, you can stack two slices together. Use whatever kind of ham you like -- honey ham, black forest ham, smoked ham. You can also make these cream cheese roll ups with turkey, pastrami, roast beef, or any thin sliced deli meat.
Cream cheese. Use one 8 ounce block of cream cheese softened to room temperature for easier spreading. You can use full fat or reduced-fat cream cheese.
Whole dill pickles. Use your favorite store-bought or homemade dill pickles. I use kosher dills.
Optional seasonings. A few teaspoons of dry ranch seasoning or a couple of tablespoons of everything bagel seasoning stirred into the cream cheese add tons of flavor to these already-delicious pickle appetizers.
If you're not familiar with everything bagel seasoning, it's a spice mixture made from sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, and salt.
Optional garnishes. Olives and pickle slices make these little roll ups even cuter and tastier.
Step-by-step Instructions
Optional step: For flavored cream cheese, stir 4 teaspoons of dry ranch mix or 2 tablespoons of everything bagel seasoning into a brick of softened cream cheese. Or leave the cream cheese plain.
Stack together two thin slices of ham (or use one slice if your ham is thicker). Use a paper towel to pat the ham dry.
With a butter knife or offset spatula, evenly spread a layer of cream cheese across the piece of ham. I use two tablespoons of cream cheese per roll.
Pat one pickle dry with a paper towel. Lay the pickle on one end of the ham. Roll the pickle up in the ham.
Lay the rolls seam side down on a plate. Cover them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, up to overnight, to allow the cream cheese to firm up.
Use a very sharp knife to slice rolls into half-inch thick slices. If desired, skewer each slice with a toothpick and garnish with an olive, pickle slice, or both.
Make Ahead
Ham pickle roll ups can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap.
Expert Tips
Pat the slices of ham and whole pickles dry with paper towels so the cream cheese will adhere to them. This will also help keep the rolls nice and tight.
Let the rolls chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to overnight, to let the cream cheese firm up for easier slicing.
Season the cream cheese with dry ranch dip mix or everything bagel seasoning to make these ham roll ups even tastier.
Use a very sharp knife to help you make a clean cut through the ham rolls.
Recipe FAQs
Minnesota sushi is made from deli ham smeared with cream cheese wrapped around a pickle and cut into slices.
Use any kind of pickle you love. The most important thing is that the size of the pickles matches the size of the slice of ham. So baby dills might be out, unless you lay two end-to-end.
You can use dill pickles, kosher dills, sour dill pickles, sweet pickles -- you can even wrap a dill pickle spear in ham. Whatever pickle you choose, pat it dry with a paper towel to keep it nestled in the cream cheese.
Everything bagel seasoning is a seasoning blend made with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, and salt.
Recipe Essentials
Everything bagel seasoning is super delicious mixed into the cream cheese.
This is the knife sharpener we use to keep a nice, sharp edge on our knives. And by "we" I mean my husband :).
More Easy Appetizer Recipes
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Ham Pickle Roll Ups
Ingredients
- 16 thin slices deli ham or 8 thicker slices
- 8 pickles
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
Optional Cream Cheese Stir-Ins (choose one)
- 2 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning
- 4 teaspoons dry ranch mix
Garnishes, optional
- olives and pickle slices
Instructions
- Optional step: For flavored cream cheese, stir one of the following into the softened cream cheese: • 4 teaspoons of dry ranch mix • 2 tablespoons of everything bagel seasoning
- Stack together two thin slices of ham (or use one slice if your ham is thicker). Pat the ham dry with a paper towel.
- Evenly spread two tablespoons of cream cheese onto the ham.
- Pat one pickle dry with a paper towel. Lay the pickle on one end of the ham. Roll the pickle up in the ham. Repeat, you'll end up with 8 ham and pickle rolls.
- Lay the rolls seam side down on a plate. Cover them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, up to overnight, to allow the cream cheese to firm up.
- With a sharp knife, cut the uneven ends off of each roll (and eat them :)), then cut the roll into ½ inch slices.
- If desired, skewer the slices with a toothpick and garnish with an olive, pickle slice, or both.
Make Ahead
- Ham pickle roll ups can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap.
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