Cheesy Loaded Baked Potato Bites Appetizer
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Cheesy Loaded Baked Potato Bites pack all the flavors of twice-baked potatoes into a delicious little appetizer. Here’s the twist — sweet, tangy pineapple bits pair with salty ham and nutty gruyere for a flavor combo you didn’t know you needed. Let me show you how easy these irresistible bites are to make for your next gathering!
Why You’ll Love This Potato Bites Recipe
Ingredient Notes
- Small red potatoes | Try to choose potatoes that are uniform in size for the most even cooking and consistent results.
- Gruyere cheese | Nutty and creamy gruyere cheese adds so much flavor!
- Chopped ham (fully cooked) | Use whatever ham you’d like — convenient leftover baked ham or a quality deli ham.
- Sour cream | Tangy sour cream adds more creaminess to the potato filling.
- Cream cheese with chives and onions | I like using soft cream cheese with chives and onions for extra flavor. It’s typically found in tubs in the dairy section.
- Canned crushed pineapple | This secret ingredient adds sweetness to balance out the other flavors. Just be sure to drain well, or the filling will be too watery.
- Seasoning | Add a little garlic salt and ground red pepper for a kick!
Recipe Success Tips
How to Make Loaded Potato Bites
This easy and affordable crispy roasted potato recipe is a life-saver for holiday events!
STEP 1 | Bake potatoes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place potatoes on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 50 minutes or just until tender. Cool completely.
STEP 2 | Slice and scoop
Once the potatoes are out of the oven and cool enough to handle safely, cut them in half and scoop out the pulp, leaving the shell intact.
STEP 3 | Mix and fill
In a large bowl, combine the potato pulp with the remaining ingredients. Then, spoon the mixture into potato shells and place them on a rack in a roasting pan.
STEP 4 | Broil and enjoy!
Lastly, broil for 4-6 minutes, watching carefully, until bubbly and golden.
I first made this recipe when my Southern Living Christmas book arrived in the mail in 1996. Over the last ten years, I have made it many times, and it is always a hit!
Try more of my favorite Southern Living recipes for the holiday season like Baked Cheese Dip, Cherry Cake, and salty, sweet Caramel Corn with cashews and pecans – Yum!
Variations and Substitutions
- Toppings. Add a pop of color and flavor by sprinkling the oven baked potatoes with minced chives or scallions.
- Potatoes. If preferred, you can use creamy and buttery yellow/gold potatoes instead of red potatoes.
- Cheese. Swap the gruyere with sharp, bold cheddar, pepper jack, or creamy mozzarella. Or, for something unique, mix in a spoonful of goat cheese.
- Protein. Try crispy bacon bits, healthy turkey, or even leftover chicken instead of ham for this versatile recipe.
Storage and Reheating Tips
- Leftovers store well in the fridge when covered or in an airtight container for up to four days.
- You can also freeze the appetizers for longer storage by first freezing them on a baking sheet with parchment paper until they are solid. Then, store them in a freezer-safe plastic bag or container for about three months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sweet potatoes sound like a delicious substitution for the red potatoes in this recipe, but there are some significant differences. Aside from flavor, sweet potatoes are larger than little red potatoes, and smaller varieties aren’t easy to come across. So, if you want to make this recipe with sweet potatoes, I suggest following the instructions of a classic twice-baked potato recipe.
Sure! Swap the ham for roasted veggies, like bell peppers, broccoli, spinach, or zucchini. You may also want to adjust the seasoning to make up for the smoky and salty taste of the ham.
Absolutely! For a healthier version of this recipe, use light sour cream and cream cheese, sub the ham with turkey, and add nutritious vegetables.
Sticky potatoes are a sign that you may have overmixed them. To fix gluey potatoes, add a tablespoon of melted butter.
Looking for more Crowd-Pleasing Appetizers?
More of my hit appetizer recipes that always leave guests satisfied are these Sweet Potato Skins with BBQ, bacon, and cheese, light and flavorful Puff Pastry Pinwheels, or my Chicken Meatballs with Honey Garlic Sauce.
What to Serve With Loaded Potato Bites
One of the best parts of these baked potato bites is that they work great as an appetizer or finger food alongside Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers for game day or a holiday get-together. They’re also the perfect side dish for Grilled Sirloin Steak or these juicy Air Fryer Pork Chops (no breading).
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Ham and Cheese Potato Bites
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. small unpeeled red potatoes
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese shredded
- ½ cup finely chopped cooked ham
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons soft cream cheese with chives and onions
- 3 tablespoons crushed pineapple drained well
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon ground red pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place potatoes on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 50 minutes or just until tender. Cool completely.
- Cut potatoes in half and scoop out pulp, leaving shell in tact.
- In a large bowl, combine potato pulp with remaining ingredients. Spoon mixture into potato shells and place on a rack in a roasting pan.
- Broil 4-6 minutes, watching carefully, until bubbly and golden.
Notes
- Use a melon baller to carefully scoop out the pulp, leaving the shells intact.
- Make and stuff the potato bites ahead of time for your party, but don’t put them into the oven for the second bake cycle. Wait until just before your guests arrive to do this so that they are hot for serving.
- Leftovers store well in the fridge when covered or in an airtight container for up to four days.
- You can also freeze the appetizers for longer storage by first freezing them on a baking sheet with parchment paper until they are solid. Then, store them in a freezer-safe plastic bag or container for about three months.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
I love going through old cookbooks too! There is something about the printed copy, and the stains marking which recipes are your favourite!!! These potato bites sounds delicious. Love the flavour combo of gruyere, ham and pineapple! These are definitely a ‘must-make’ appetizer!