This Avocado Tomatillo Roll is a unique appetizer that is sure to wow your guests with creamy avocados, tangy tomatillos and spicy serrano peppers wrapped in a blanket of cream cheese.
It is hard to believe that I have been writing on my blog for over 9 years. I have over 650 posts and most of those are recipe posts. That’s a lot of recipes. Dang, that really IS a whole lotta recipes!!!
Some of my favorite recipes were shared with you early on in my blogging years, so the photography was lackluster and the writing dull. And quite honestly, many of these recipes have not received the attention they deserve so I as I add new recipes to my blog, I am also returning to some oldies-but-goodies and sharing them again. Trust me, you’ll thank me for this.
Today’s recipe, the Avocado Tomatillo Roll, is one of those jewel of recipes that needs to be on your radar. Whether you are hosting the Super Bowl game, need an appetizer for a potluck, or want something different to grace your tortilla chips, this avocado tomatillo roll is the answer you’ve been waiting for.
Tomatillos might look like green tomatoes, but they are different in many ways. First of all, they are wrapped in a paper-like skin. And once this is skin is removed, the tomatillo has a sticky residue that you need wash off.
Unlike sweet tomatoes, tomatillos have a wonderful tartness to them. And for my sour-loving-family, that’s a good thing. Living in Southern California, tomatillos are very easy to find and can be purchased at your local grocery store. In other parts of the US, try finding them in hispanic markets.
Tomatillos are more famously used for salsa verde, but it is also the base for the chopped raw filling inside this roll.
I was first introduced to this avocado tomatillo roll by my friend, Hendrika. I was so fascinated by the flavors and presentation of this dip, that I learned how to make it from her. It might look complicated to make, but it is actually quite easy to throw together.
Tomatillos are roughly processed in a food processor with a serrano chile, cilantro, and onion. The filling is best left a little chunky, and not a slushy salsa. You actually drain the excess water from the mixture before you spread it on the center of a rolled out brick of cream cheese.
Add some chopped avocado, then fold up the filling with the cream cheese blanket and wrap it like a burrito. Don’t worry, I made a video to show exactly how to do this!
To flatten your cream cheese, place it between two sheets of aluminum foil and roll it out with a rolling pin. You don’t need it too thin, about ⅛-inch is good. It gets tricky when you peel the cream cheese off the foil. If it sticks to the foil, just pop it in the refrigerator to chill for 5-10 minutes and then try again.
Once your tomatillo roll is combined, place it seam-side down onto your serving plate and gently peel off the remaining foil. If your roll starts to crack, no worries. Just wet your fingers and reconnect the cream cheese. If this is too complicated for you, use my friend, Annabell’s, technique.
This works when you are doubling or tripling the quantity for a real large crowd. Spoon your tomatillo-avocado mixture directly onto your serving platter and lay your cream cheese directly over it, like a blanket.
Either way, your crowd will LOVE this dish. The tangy, mildly spicy tomatillo mixture contrasts with the creamy avocado and cream cheese making a fiesta in your mouth! So believe me when I tell you, you have GOT to make this at your next party. Your family and friends will thank you for it!
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Avocado Tomatillo Roll
This Avocado Tomatillo Roll is a unique appetizer that is sure to wow your guests with creamy avocados, tangy tomatillos and spicy Serrano peppers wrapped in a blanket of cream cheese.
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 5 small tomatillos, quartered
- 1 serrano chile, seeded and coarsely chopped
- ½ medium onion, quartered
- ½ cup cilantro, fresh, coarsely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 avocado
Instructions
- Place cream cheese between two sheets of aluminum foil. Using a rolling pin, roll the cream cheese flat until approximately ⅛-inch thick. Put in refrigerator until ready to use.
- Using a food processor purée tomatillos, Serrano Chile, onion, cilantro and salt together. Put tomatillo mixture in a colander and strain excess juice and set aside.
- Cut Avocado in half and set aside.
- Remove cream cheese from the refrigerator and slowly peel back one sheet of aluminum foil from cream cheese.
- Spoon strained tomatillo mixture along the center of flattened cream cheese, reserving 1 teaspoon for garnish.
- Score avocado halves in both directions and spoon out the cubes of half an avocado over the tomatillo mixture. Reserve the other avocado cubes for garnish.
- Carefully fold one side of flattened cream cheese over the tomatillo mixture, peeling off the foil. Fold over the other side of the cream cheese and peel foil off the cream cheese.
- Place tomatillo roll onto serving plate, seam-side down, and remove the remaining aluminum foil.
- Garnish the top of the roll with reserved tomatillo mixture and remaining avocado cubes.
Notes
Serving Suggestions: The tomatillo mixture makes a great salsa by itself, too! For a larger crowd, double the ingredients. When you roll out the cream cheese, place two bricks together and roll at the same time. This will produce one large sheet of cream cheese for your roll. If you are struggling to wrap up your roll, just spoon the avocado-tomatillo mixture directly on the serving dish and place the flattened cream cheese over it, like a blanket.
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