My favorite version of a Minnesota classic includes just three ingredients—pickles, cream cheese and pastrami—for a a quick and easy snack that is highly portable and great for entertaining when sliced into bite-size pieces!
This may be the shortest recipe in the history of recipes, but I’ve had a few people reach out to ask about Pickle Roll-Ups since I posted about them on Instagram so here goes…
What is a Pickle-Roll-Up?
This dilly delicacy is often found at picnics and potlucks in the Midwest, and is comprised of a dill pickle wrapped in a piece of deli meat that has been slathered with cream cheese. While the most well-known version uses ham for the outer layer, I prefer pastrami, just like the version that is sold at the Minnesota State Fair near the entrance to the Midway. My family makes sure to stop there at least once or twice during the fair’s 12-day run so my daughter can get a giant pickle and I get the Pickle Roll-Up. I love the bold flavor combo that comes from wrapping peppery pastrami around a tangy pickle with, of course, a thick layer of cream cheese inside that balances it all out: DILLicious!
Minnesota Sushi
For fancier occasions, it is common to see Pickle Roll-Ups sliced into 1/2 inch, bite-size pieces and served on a platter. People jokingly refer to this version as Minnesota Sushi. Add some frilly toothpicks and you have the perfect “dish to share” for your next get-together.
Tips for Great Pickle Roll-Ups:
- “Make friends” with the deli counter staff to get good quality pastrami that is optimally sliced for the task at hand! You don’t want the meat to be too thick, but it shouldn’t be falling apart either as it will make life difficult when it comes to spreading cream cheese and rolling up your pickles.
- I like using medium-sized pickle spears but you could also buy full-size pickles and slice them. Whatever method, you’ll want to lay them on a paper towel and/or blot them a bit so you don’t end up with a slippery mess.
- I use whatever cream cheese I have on hand but this is where you could have some fun! There are so many flavors of cream cheese available that would be fun to try with Pickle Roll-Ups, or you could mix your own seasonings or even a packet of ranch dressing mix into the cream cheese to kick up the flavor.
- When it’s “go time” and you are ready to make the roll-ups, you may need more than one piece of meat to cover your pickle and that’s OK! My Pickle Roll-Ups tend to look a bit “rustic” with some pickle peeking out at either end but feel free to wrap your pickles up snug as a rug and use more meat if that’s what you like. If you are planning to cut them up into bite-size pieces, you’ll want to ensure the entire pickle is covered.
