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Pinwheels are a super simple deli lunch you can easily make at home and turn into meal prep! Check out my tips and how-to VIDEO to help you make the BEST Easy Turkey Pinwheels Meal Prep!!
A roll up, a pinwheel, and sandwich roll… no matter what you call them, pinwheels are a simple yet glorious alternative to regular old sandwiches. And MUCH prettier.
Not sure if you have a QFC near you (Quality Food Centers), but they have these pinwheels in the deli that I just can’t help but LOVE. Especially when it’s 80F and I’m tryna find a quick dinner to take across the street to my friend’s apartment.
These days I try to be a little more prepared, but I’m still not perfect and I can’t promise I won’t ever buy those QFC pinwheels again. But I now have a viable homemade option ready to go, SUPER quick.
Recipe Overview
Total Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Method: No Heat
Prep: Make-Ahead Friendly
Watch how to make this Easy Turkey Pinwheels Meal Prep (1 minute 6 seconds):
Tips for the BEST turkey pinwheels:
First of all, you’ve got to organize your toppings and condiments so your pinwheel stays rolled. That’s like, the most important part of pinwheels. Here are the steps to rolling great pinwheels:
- I’ve found that using a thicker condiment like cream cheese or Laughing Cow spreadable cheese works best. Condiments like mayo and mustard taste good in the pinwheels but are not great for meal prepping, and the pinwheel might get a little soggy. Meanwhile, using a thicker cheese style spread forms more of a barrier and keeps moisture from totally sogging up the wrap.
- Your condiment should cover the ENTIRE wrap or tortilla to the very edges.
- Deli meat should cover only 2/3 of your wrap (but get it all the way to the remaining edges).
- Leave about 1/3 of your wrap with condiment ONLY. This part will act as a “glue” to keep the pinwheel rolled up.
- Greens go in the middle – they notoriously try to escape during rolling. Just use your fingers and tuck them in as you roll.
- Roll from the meat covered end. This will be the center of your pinwheel!
Here’s a little photo to help:
Using a tortilla vs. a flatbread
Last year, these very tasty Turkey Pesto Tortilla Pinwheels appeared on the blog. They are bomb.com, BUT one issue I had was the tortilla situation.
When you roll a circular tortilla, you have weird ends to deal with. The center of the tortilla makes perfect pinwheels, but the sides are always weird and not “full pinwheel” status. It’s a little hard to explain, but if you’ve ever tried to make a pinwheel with tortillas, you know what I’m talking about.
To remedy this problem, I decided to use Flatouts flatbreads – they’re more rectangular, so you’ve got FULL coverage across your entire shell. Pinwheel game strong!! No weird, wasted ends.
I just cut the end pinwheels a tiny bit longer, and no one ever knew the difference. I’ve used the Italian and the regular variety for these pinwheels – both great!
When using a Flatout flatbread, I cut the roll up into five pinwheels. I leave the end pieces a little bit longer so they have some nice solid pinwheel action inside (and they aren’t just weird ends), and then cut the middle into three even pieces.
My favorite combos for the Easy Turkey Pinwheel Meal Prep:
- Two wedges of Laughing Cow spreadable cheese (35 calories each) as the condiment, 3-4 pieces of turkey, and some fresh baby spinach. FAVORITE and easiest combo.
- One wedge of Laughing Cow spreadable cheese, a small amount of my favorite mustard, 3 pieces of turkey, spinach, and one slice of cheddar cheese.
- Pesto cream cheese, 3 slices of turkey, romaine, tomato and a slice of provolone (detailed recipe here).
FYI: You can find the Flatouts Flatbreads in the deli section with the fresh baked bread. They are NOT located near the tortillas. I looked around there for a long time.
You can also get the Flatouts on Amazon (affiliate link) but they are much cheaper at the store ($3.99 I think).
How to store prepared Turkey Pinwheels Meal Prep:
To store in the refrigerator, make your chosen number of servings and then portion pinwheels and sides into airtight containers with lids. Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days for best quality.
Is this recipe freezer-friendly?
No, I would not suggest freezing this recipe! It’s meant to be eaten fresh – only assemble as many portions as you need.
Did you make this? I want to see how it turned out! Tag me in your social media post @projectmealplan and use #projectmealplan when you share!
Easy Turkey Pinwheels Meal Prep
Pinwheels are a super simple deli lunch you can easily make at home and turn into meal prep! Check out my tips to help you make the BEST Easy Turkey Pinwheels Meal Prep!!
Ingredients
Each meal prep contains:
Pinwheel:
- Regular burrito size tortillas work, but I prefer Flatouts Flatbreads (affiliate link) – 1 per serving
- Laughing Cow spreadable cheese wedges – 2 wedges per serving
- Or .75 oz pesto cream cheese (or plain)
- Or 1 TB mayonnaise/mustard
- 3–4 slices turkey deli meat, thinly sliced (about 4 oz per serving)
- 1 slice of cheese (optional – see notes for my favorite pinwheel combos)
- Baby spinach, romaine or other greens you like (about 1 handful per serving)
Meal Prep Sides (pictured):
- 1 oz nuts such as almond or cashews or a mix
- as many berries as can fit into your meal prep container
Instructions
- Add condiments: Lay your flatbread or tortilla flat on a cutting board or other clean surface. Spread your condiment on first, being sure to cover the ENTIRE flatbread surface. Laughing Cow spreadable cheese wedges work really well and do not make the pinwheel soggy. You can use mayo and mustard, but your pinwheel may become soggy if it’s stored for more than 24 hours. Cream cheese also works.
- Assemble pinwheel: Next, arrange your deli meat slices flat on the tortilla, covering about 2/3 of the surface. Leave about 1/3 of the tortilla covered with condiment only. Add a slice of cheese if you want, then add your greens to the middle of the flatbread forming a line from edge to edge.
- Roll the pinwheel: Begin rolling the pinwheel from the meat covered side, using both hands and rolling tightly. The greens may try to escape, but just use your fingers to tuck them in as you roll.
- Meal prep & serve: Cut the roll up into 5 pieces, and arrange in your meal prep container. Portion some berries and nuts to complete the meal! Prep up to 3 servings at once and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
NOTE: These instructions make ONE meal prep lunch – just keep prepping more if you want more! Since these are made one at a time, it’s easy to prep as little or as many as you want. I would recommend prepping these only up to 3 days in advance.
My favorite pinwheel flavor combos: 1) Two wedges of Laughing Cow spreadable cheese (35 calories each) as the condiment, 3-4 pieces of turkey, and some spinach. FAVORITE and easiest combo. 2) One wedge of Laughing Cow spreadable cheese, a small amount of my favorite mustard, 3 pieces of turkey, spinach, and one slice of cheddar cheese. 3) Pesto cream cheese, 3 slices of turkey, romaine, tomato and a slice of provolone (detailed recipe here).
Nutrition information estimated with My Fitness Pal using combination 1 as an example.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 prepped meal
- Calories: 485
- Fat: 22g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Protein: 41g
Amy Treasure says
Absolutely perfect for a school lunchbox, thank you!
Danielle says
Definitely! You’re welcome Amy!
Amy says
I LOVE the glass containers you use with the meal prepping. Where can I find them?
Danielle says
Hey Amy! Aren’t they awesome? I get them on Amazon! Here’s a link to my post all about containers. You will be able to find the links to the 2 and 3 compartment glass containers there!
http://34.211.113.157/best-meal-prep-containers/
Thanks Amy!