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Sweet Potato Starter Bites

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Need an appetizer that is truly the easiest thing ever and tastes like you put a lot of effort into it? These Sweet Potato Starter Bites fit the bill. They are easy to make, can be put together in about a half an hour (which includes 20 minutes of baking time) and are really versatile.

Need an appetizer that is truly the easiest thing ever and tastes like you put a lot of effort into it? These Sweet Potato Starter Bites fit the bill. They are easy to make, can be put together in about a half an hour (which includes 20 minutes of baking time) and are really versatile.

The Sweet Potato Starter Bites are easy peasy and I especially love them when its cooler out. (Yes, I know I live in California now, but the insulation just isn’t as good as it is back in the icy Midwest, so I’m always cold.) I like making these because I can turn my oven on and it not only warms up the house, but in just a short while I can have a tasty and filling appetizer.

They are so quick to come together. I’ve given you a couple of ideas for the toppings, but honestly, they will work with many different things. I like to make at least two versions when serving them so my guests (or my family) have options.

I also like that sweet potatoes and yams come in several different colors so when you plate them to serve they look really pleasing on the plate. In these photos you can see a purple yam and an orange and a yellow sweet potato. They are available at your regular grocery store, so be on the lookout for them.

Need an appetizer that is truly the easiest thing ever and tastes like you put a lot of effort into it? These Sweet Potato Starter Bites fit the bill. They are easy to make, can be put together in about a half an hour (which includes 20 minutes of baking time) and are really versatile.

The various colors of sweet potato and yams bake in the same amount of time so you don’t have to worry when using different kinds. (This recipe also works with regular russet potatoes but they take a little bit longer to bake, so if you switch that up, be sure and put the russet potatoes in for about 10 minutes longer than the yams/sweet potatoes.)

I’ve spread them all with a creamy cheese (Philadelphia Cream Cheese) then I made a couple of choices for different versions of toppings.

For the first version: atop the creamy cheese simply add chopped pistachios and cranberry pieces. The nuts give a nice crunch while the dried cranberry adds a tart burst of flavor.

In the second version—don’t worry, they’re just as easy: on top of the creamy cheese add chopped walnuts and a few slices of dried figs. Then I drizzled sweet honey over the top. Mmmmm, the honey brings the whole bite together, nutty, fruity, creamy cheese tied together with the sweetness of the honey.

The fact that these Sweet Potato Starter Bites are a two-bite appetizer makes them a perfect choice for a party appetizer but they also are a great filler when you just need something little before a light meal.

Try these the next time you want something fast, easy and delicious!

Need an appetizer that is truly the easiest thing ever and tastes like you put a lot of effort into it? These Sweet Potato Starter Bites fit the bill. They are easy to make, can be put together in about a half an hour (which includes 20 minutes of baking time) and are really versatile.
Yield: 8 servings

Sweet Potato Starter Bites

Sweet Potato Starter Bites

Need an appetizer that is truly the easiest thing ever and tastes like you put a lot of effort into it? These Sweet Potato Starter Bites fit the bill. They are easy to make, can be put together in about a half an hour (which includes 20 minutes of baking time) and are really versatile.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled
  • 8 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup Pistachios, meat only, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup Walnuts, meat only, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
  • 4-6 dried figs, sliced into slivers
  • Any dried herb of your liking, tarragon, basil, oregano all work well
  • 1 Tablespoon Honey for drizzling, optional
  • olive oil for brushing

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°
  2. Take the cream cheese out of fridge and allow it to soften while the you work with the sweet potatoes.
  3. Slice peeled sweet potatoes/yams into 1/4" slices. You can cut them at a diagonal to get a longer diagonal piece or cut them straight across to get a more round looking bite.
  4. Place olive oil in a small bowl and use a brush to baste both sides of sweet potato/yam and place on a baking sheet. Repeat until all pieces are complete.
  5. Place in oven for 20 minutes. Edges will turn a golden brown, The potato/yam will be firm on the outside and the inside will be like a baked potato consistency.
  6. Once rounds are finished baking sheet, allow to cool for 5 minutes.
  7. Once you can handle the rounds, using a knife put a thin layer of cream cheese on all rounds.
  8. If I'm using multi colored potato/yams I will have one color with one set of toppings and the second color with a different topping.
  9. Lightly top 1/2 of the cream cheese topped rounds with a small amount of chopped pistachios and dried cranberry bits. Then sprinkle with the herb of your choice.
  10. On the other half of the cream cheese topped rounds place 2 slivers of the dried figs on top then sprinkle with a few pieces of the chopped walnuts.
  11. Place all rounds on the serving platter. On top of the fig/walnut rounds drizzle a little bit of honey over them to allow for a slight bit of sweetness.
  12. Serve while they are still warm.

Notes

You can get a colorful plate by using different colors of yams and sweet potatoes. The cooking time is the same no matter what color/variety you use when using yams or sweet potatoes.

This recipe also would work with russet style potatoes, but the cooking time would be an additional 10 minutes for a russet potato. If you are doing russets and yam/sweet potatoes place the russet slices in the oven for 10 minutes then add the yam/sweet potato slices on the tray. By doing it this way, your rounds will all finish at the same time.

Calorie Information for this recipe was calculated in My Fitness Pal using the ingredients/brands I purchased to make the recipe. If you are following a strict diet, please calculate the calories using the brands/ingredients you actually purchased for complete accuracy.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

8 servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 228Carbohydrates: 31gFiber: 4gSugar: 13gProtein: 3g
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. Please calculate your own nutritional information if you want it exact to what you make and use my calculations as a guide only.
© Michele Hall
Cuisine: American / Category: APPETIZERS
Need an appetizer that is truly the easiest thing ever and tastes like you put a lot of effort into it? These Sweet Potato Starter Bites fit the bill. They are easy to make, can be put together in about a half an hour (which includes 20 minutes of baking time) and are really versatile.
Need an appetizer that is truly the easiest thing ever and tastes like you put a lot of effort into it? These Sweet Potato Starter Bites fit the bill. They are easy to make, can be put together in about a half an hour (which includes 20 minutes of baking time) and are really versatile.
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Comments

  5. Hannah says

    I LOVE sweet potatoes! I love that you made these into small pieces, so they can really be used as an appetizer!

    Reply

  6. nicole torres says

    Oh, my word. Those look amazing, and I’m a sucker for potatoes. Looks delicious; I’ll have to add these to my recipe list. YUM!

    Reply

  9. Becca says

    I love sweet potatoes! These look pretty easy, but still very colorful and fun. Would be great for the next party!

    Reply

  10. Heather says

    These look so delicious! And I love anything that is an easy app. I think I could actually eat these for dinner 🙂

    Reply

  12. alexandria says

    Yum. I love sweet potatoes. My daughter used to be obsessed with them, but not anymore. Otherwise, I would totally make these as a snack.

    Reply

    • Michele says

      I remember those days with my niece… one day it was the best food ever, then next day it was oooh, yuck! who knows, maybe she’ll come around to like them again!

      Reply

  13. Amanda Love says

    Oh these look really good. I think these would even be great snacks for the kids. I much prefer these over bags of chips as well. Will be trying to make these over the weekend.

    Reply

  14. dani cc says

    we’ve made many things with sweet potatoes but never anything like this. This is such a great idea, can pretty much top it with so many different things.

    Reply

  16. tiaras and tantrums says

    I’m not too fond of sweet potatoes – but these sound delicious! I guess if you put something you really like on something that you may not care for – it will taste great!

    Reply

    • Michele says

      Isn’t that the truth… thats how I learned to eat eggplant! Covered in cheese with a yummy sauce, now I actually really enjoy it! ~m

      Reply

  17. Debra says

    Oh man. These sound divine. I never had sweet potatoes growing up, so I am just discovering the amazing ways to use them!

    Reply

  18. tp keane says

    Love these sweet potato bites. I love sweet potato but was limited with what I could do with it. Great ideas.

    Reply

  20. michele says

    omg these look delicious! I seriously want to try these because I love potato skins and this is a great healthy spin on it. Great post! xx felinebykatsairs.com

    Reply

  22. Diedre says

    I love sweet potatoes! My hubby is a farmer and he’s always looking for fruits and veggies in non traditional colors, so I’ll have to tell him to grow different types of sweet potatoes so we can try this dish. I love how elegant and chic your presentation was as well!

    Reply

  23. Heather Lawrence says

    Normally when I think of sweet potato I’m in visioning dippong fries in mayo. This looks like a delicious appetizer! Now I just need an excuse to make a batch.

    Reply

  25. Michelle @ Sunshine and Hurricanes.com says

    What a fun and unique appetizer for a dinner party! I love that these aren’t your normal start to a meal!

    Reply

  26. Robin Rue (@massholemommy) says

    What an absolutely AWESOME appetizer idea! My whole family would just devour these! They sound amazing.

    Reply

  27. Karen says

    I have always wanted to try out a recipe with those fabulous purple potatoes!! This looks so incredibly yummy that I need to make it this upcoming weekend!
    Karen | GlamKaren.com

    Reply

  28. Kait says

    Oh my gosh these look amazing! MY parents are coming into town later this week and I was trying to brainstorm an easy appetizer for their arrival. These will be PERFECT!

    Reply

  31. Heather says

    These look amazing!! I love purple potatoes and the combination of the cheese and nuts has to be both creamy and crunchy and does it get any better than that??

    Reply

    • WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says

      I know right? I love that they look like they came in a restaurant…. all professional and all, but that I made them!! ~m

      Reply

  36. Reichel says

    Oh I love sweet potatoes in pretty much everything. This a fun way to use them though. Almost like replacing the cracker 😉

    Reply

    • WESTVIAMIDWEST.COM says

      Thanks Natalie! I love little bite size appetizers, it makes it “ok” to eat a lot of them right?? ~m

      Reply

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