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Sliced bread filled with meat and cheese is displayed on a decorative plate and wooden board on a kitchen counter. A knife block, plant, and stove are visible in the background.

Sausage and Cream Cheese Pinwheels (Easy Appetizer Recipe)

These sausage and cream cheese pinwheels fill refrigerated pizza crust with a creamy sausage, cheddar, and diced tomato mixture and bake until golden for an easy crowd-pleasing appetizer or party snack.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings: 24 pinwheels
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb breakfast sausage
  • 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
  • 1 8 oz block cream cheese, softened
  • 1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 2 13.8 oz refrigerated prepared pizza crusts

Method
 

  1. Brown the breakfast sausage in a skillet until fully cooked. Drain any excess grease.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the cooked sausage, softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, and diced tomatoes with green chilies. Mix until well combined.
  3. Unroll one refrigerated pizza crust onto a flat surface. Gently stretch and press the dough with your hands, keeping it in a rectangular shape.
  4. Divide the sausage mixture in half. Spread half of the mixture evenly over the first pizza crust.
  5. Starting at one of the long sides, tightly roll the dough up into a log, similar to rolling up a rug. Repeat with the second pizza crust and remaining sausage mixture.
  6. Place the rolls on a prepared baking sheet. Bake according to the temperature and timing listed on your pizza crust package, but begin checking about 5 minutes before the recommended baking time to prevent overbaking.
  7. Remove from the oven once the crust is golden brown and cooked through. Allow the rolls to cool slightly before slicing.
  8. Using a sharp knife, slice each roll crosswise into individual pinwheels. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • Drain the diced tomatoes with green chiles well before mixing them into the filling. Excess liquid makes the filling too wet and the crust soggy.
  • The cream cheese must be fully softened before mixing. Cold cream cheese will not blend smoothly into the sausage and you will end up with lumps throughout the filling.
  • Roll the dough as tightly as possible. A loose roll means the pinwheels fall apart when sliced. Think of it like rolling a burrito, nice and tight from the start.
  • Let the rolls cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Cutting too early causes the filling to spill out rather than staying neatly inside each pinwheel.