You Are Looking For

Let me tell you something right now: if you put a platter of these Italian pinwheels on your table, you better grab one for yourself before the guests show up—because they will be gone. I’ve learned that lesson the hard way. More than once. I started making these little roll-ups years ago for my son’s soccer banquet. Back when I was still trying to impress the PTA moms with “something other than brownies.” Turns out, all it took was some salami, cheese, and cream cheese in a tortilla. Go figure. They’ve been part of my appetizer rotation ever since—and for …

aka the one thing everyone grabs before the football even starts. You ever show up to a get-together and think, Please, Lord, let there be something besides sad chips and grocery store cookies? I have. Too many times. So a while back, I started bringing these Italian Sub Bites to potlucks, tailgates, even my neighbor Carol’s backyard wine night (don’t ask, she gets real rowdy with rosé). Let me tell you—these things disappear. Every. Single. Time. And the best part? You don’t need an oven. You don’t need fancy tools. Heck, you barely need a reason to make them. They’re …

Okay, I’ve got a confession: I didn’t invent this recipe. But I have made it so many times that I could slice the cheese with my eyes closed (though I don’t recommend that). The first time I put this plate out was at our neighborhood holiday potluck. You know the one — someone brings crockpot meatballs, there’s always two broccoli casseroles, and everything disappears way too fast. I walked in with this platter of cheese — soaked in a garlicky red pepper vinaigrette — and plopped it down without much thought. Well, within ten minutes, people were hovering like bees …

Alright, let me just say it — I used to hate wasting food. But crusts? Oh, they were my weakness. Every time I made sandwiches for the grandkids, those little trimmed edges would pile up on the counter like breadcrumbs from a fairy tale. I’d try to save them, maybe feed the birds or toss them into a meatloaf. But more often than not? Into the trash they went. Ugh, the guilt. One day I got tired of feeling bad about it and decided to experiment. I was already melting butter for garlic bread — and I thought, well shoot, …