With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, we're spending a bit of time this week focusing on the gifts of the oven. Baked goods always have a place at holiday tables and Thanksgiving begs for everything from savory to sweet. This time around, we're focusing on the savory with a puff pastry pinwheel that's brimming with the flavors of Greece. They will make an excellent appetizer or accompaniment to the main course at your Thanksgiving gathering.
I generally use labneh - a Greek yogurt cheese that has the consistency of cream cheese - in recipes like this because I tend to have it on hand more than cream cheese. You could also use mascarpone if you prefer - it is, after all, Thanksgiving! For items like the artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers, I like to press them lightly between two layers of paper towels to remove most of the moisture before chopping or dicing. You want to avoid wet ingredients that will lead to soggy pastries. Likewise, if you use frozen spinach, squeeze it very well once you've fully thawed it.
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Greek Pinwheels
- 8 oz. labneh or softened cream cheese
- 1 cup minced fresh spinach or frozen chopped spinach that's been thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 17-oz. pkg. frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, diced
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Add the labneh (yogurt cheese) or softened cream cheese to a large bowl with the spinach, artichoke hearts, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cream the mixture on low speed with an electric mixer until well combined; set aside.
Arrange one sheet of the pastry on a hard surface and spread with half the cream cheese spinach mixture. Layer with half each of the feta cheese, red peppers, and cheeses. Roll tightly into a log and place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Cut each log into ½ inch thick slices and place the pinwheels 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 16 – 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Yields: 12 servings
- Preparation Time: 40 minutes