Dried Beef Roll-ups Appetizers Recipe
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The most popular snack I've ever prepared is undoubtedly my Dried Beef Roll-ups. Almost every time a friend of mine is planning a party or event, they ask me to contribute by bringing my famous "beef thingies" (especially those that are following a Ketogenic diet). When I walk in the room with a plate full of these savory snacks, everyone rushes to the table, and no matter how many I make, they are usually gone within a half hour. It's an easy recipe with killer results, and I'd love to share it with you.
Dried Beef Roll-Ups Recipe
- 2 jars or packets of Armour Dried Beef
- 1 8oz block of Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
- 1 bunch of green onions
Spread thin layer of softened cream cheese onto piece of dried beef. Place sliver of green onion in the middle and roll up. Trim onion from ends and cut roll in half. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
The key ingredient, as you've probably guessed, is dried beef. Most people don't know what that is, but if you've ever had "creamed chipped beef", it's in that. The exact flavor of dried beef is really hard to describe, but it's salty and semi-dry, and comes in round slices about 3" across. You'll find it in the "canned meat" section of the grocery store, and I recommend Armour brand if you can find it. It comes in little jars that also happen to make the cutest little juice glasses ever!
Finding the dried beef is by far the hardest part of the recipe. Once you've got that, the rest is quite easy!
Set the cream cheese on the counter to soften while you work on the onions. Trim the root ends off the onions and discard.
If you are a big fan of onions, you can leave them whole, but for a milder, crowd-pleasing taste, slice them in half lengthwise so that the white part isn't too strong.
Spread some of the softened cream cheese onto a piece of dried beef.
Add a sliver of onion and roll it up. The cream cheese will hold it all together.
Do a few and then line them up and trim off the ends of the onion. You can use the leftover onion on the next roll-ups.
For better presentation and to make them bite size, cut each roll-up in half crosswise.
Arrange the roll-ups in a sunburst pattern on a pretty plate. Serve either chilled or at room temperature. (You can do these a couple of hours ahead of time, but don't make them too early, because the onions will wilt after a while.)
And that's it! I know it sounds so easy, but people actually beg for the recipe all the time. This is a perfect example of something that's greater than the sum of its parts, mostly due to the unique flavor of the dried beef. Enjoy!
40 comments so far:
The dried beef sounds yummy I will definately try this. I make something similar, the difference being I use sliced ham instead of beef. Get pretty much the same response from family and friends.
This sounds great and easier than our family's favorite dried beef appetizer. I've also had a hard time finding the dried beef but had success at Walmart. Our version coats a dill pickle with cream cheese with finely-chopped peanuts mixed in, wraps that (liberally) with dried beef then chops the whole thing into "coin"-shaped slices 1/4-1/2" thick.
Hi JJ. That sounds very tasty!
I put my cream cheese mixture into a plastic baggie. I cut a very, very small tip off one corner. Then squeeze the bag (and cheese mixture) toward the small hole. This is the easiest way I have found to quickly spread my cream cheese onto my dried beef. Add your onion and roll. I have used the "already flavored" variety of Cream Cheese and found that my rollups go even quicker!
The little Jars now come with snap on & off lids, making them great for my husband to use with his tool set for screws, nut, bolts, or for me to use in my sewing area for buttons, safety pins, and notions.
What clever ideas, AgnesEthel! I love the way you are re-using the jars. They are such a cute size :)
My family's version uses a pickle also. We just ate them at Christmastime. We do not use chopped peanuts. We use the dried beef, cream cheese and a full dill pickle and then slice it into rounds before serving. So yummy, but very salty!
Thank you!!! You just saved my @ss! Been looking for an easy appitizer for over an hour!
Awesome, Cindy! Let us know how it comes out :)
Great recipe! I have made a similar dried beef roll up with same ingredients for over 50 years but sliced and served on crackers with a srig of broccoli or olive to decorate the top. I was looking for a different version because the crackers become soft in short time. Thanks so much for this idea.
Does anyone know a recipe for a cream cheese and horseradish filling for the armour dried beef?
I've made a similar treat for years, using a slice of a sweet pickle rather than the onion. The sweet and salty combination really makes a hit.
I searched for a dried beef,cream cheese roll up recipe forever that didn't have pickles in the middle, I love green onions, thank you so much for this idea!!!
You're welcome, Michelle. I hope you enjoy it!
You could also slice a celery stalk in a thinner strip and put it in the middle. Add a little horseradish to the cream cheese mayo mix. Also you can use any kind of thinly sliced lunch meat - Buddig smoked turkey, deli sliced pastrami - lots of combos.
Vicki, the celery sounds like a great alternative for folks like my sister who don't like onions. Thanks for the tip!
i do this very often, except i rinse the dried beef first under running water and then pat dry. green olives or jalapenos are good filling alternatives as well!
JD, I personally love the extra saltiness so I don't rinse, but I've got a friend who does it like you do. I think green olives sound like a wonderful addition, so thanks for the suggestion!
In the mid 1960s a dietitain friend made these with chopped onion mixed in the cream cheese. I simplified them by cutting the cream cheese into ten sections,laying each chunk acrosse the meat then laying on two chunks of green onion, rolling them up and snipping them in half, removing so much of the work. Have lived in 5 different states since then and made them everywhere! You don't need that special meat--the Buddig's pastrami is my favorite and is reasonable! If done 12 hours in advance the fl avor of the onion permeates nicely............. Chica was probably not even born when I started making these!!!!
Bette, thanks for sharing your story. I love your idea for cutting the block of cheese into sticks -- what a time-saver!
O my soooo good.only made them with cream cheese just added.onion for first tim wow .....I love em
Linda, isn't it amazing how much flavor that little bit of green onion adds? Glad you liked them!
I just made these for a post-Thanksgiving dinner appetizer because I was thinking of old holiday recipes. My aunt used to whip these up. Wouldn't they be great made with prosciutto?
I softened the cream cheese, added a tablespoon or so of mayonnaise, some wasabi sauce for a kick, some garlic powder and some grated Parmesan cheese. Spread the mixture on with a knife and rolled them tightly. They'll chill, covered, and then be cut into bite-size pieces. One pkg. of cheese does two jars of dried beef.
Sounds delicious, MJ!
My dad made a similar appetizer. He mixed the cream cheese with a little horseradish and rolled up the chip beef and cut them in half. No onion.
This is pretty fun reading variations of A holiday snack that my family has been making since the depression. We use plain or herbed cream cheese, yet the saltyness of the dried beef is addicting. We end up making 2 to 3 jars worth and you're right its never enough. My grand children prepare them for all holiday meals these days. They usually eat as many as they make. :)
My grandkids love these they liked yours but they prefer it if I used garden vegetable cream cheese. I cannot make enough for 3 growing boys
I first tried this in 1977 at my sisters bridal shower. OMG! I was hooked. They have been a big hit everytime i serve them. People cant believe they are so simple so good. Thanks for posting!
Have been making Rollups for many years. I just mix the cream cheese with tons of horseradish, rollup and serve. Whenever I go, everyone is waiting for them and they are gone immediately, so I have to make 2 jars worth.
Maybe sometime, I"ll try with olives and/or scallions. Yum.
Nancy, what a tasty variation that must be!
Cream Cheese, horseradish and onions .. This is how I have made these for 50 years.
Linda, I've never tried the addition of horseradish, but I bet it tastes wonderful!
I’m going to try this recipe, it looks so yummy. I really like creamed beef on toast, but neither one of my adult children would eat it!
I always rinse my chipped beef before using it in a recipe.
This snack looks very tasty.
You are a little late into the game; I started making these in 1967! I use the packaged thin sliced beef and have gotten lazy over the years; just divide a package of cream cheese into ten long strips, lay in the beef along with a piece of green onion and roll---so simple!
Bette, you are brilliant! I will definitely try the cream cheese strips next time.
I add a tablespoon of garlic butter to my cream cheese and mix it well when I first read about this recipe I was in the 5th grade and that was in 1975 and in the recipe it said to add 1 tablespoon of garlic butter so I asked my mom if we could make some we did. Ever since they have became a part of our holidays as well as an anytime snack. So anyway I just wanted everyone to know the original recipe calls for the tablespoon of garlic butter which makes this very delicious
Kimmie, garlic sounds like a delicious addition. Thanks for sharing!
I've made these several times using my homemade smoked dried beef. They are always a big hit.
I cut the onion shorter than the dried beef, so it is enclosed in cream cheese. Then I can freeze them in small zip freezer bags just enough for the two of us. Easy way to have a few on hand for ourselves with out the danger of eating the whole batch!
Wowww!! This was used to be my favorite dish during my childhood days, my mom used to prepare it for me…thanks for sharing this recipe step by step. There will be many dried beef lovers who are going to love this!