I absolutely love easy to eat appetizers. Nothing bothers me more at a party than when appetizers are cumbersome to eat, or can’t easily be eaten in 1-2 bites. That’s a rule when it comes to hors d’ouevres, they have to be eaten in one or two bites in order to be a party-approved snack. So these gruyere and bacon potato bites are definitely a party approved snack.
Now here’s why I’m so adamant about party appetizers needing to be eaten in one or two bites, and this is a party planning tip everyone needs to know. When you go to a party, you’re mingling and talking, you’re working the room and sipping a cocktail. You can’t be holding a big old piece of food that takes several bites to eat. It’s awkward, it’s cumbersome, it hinders conversations. You need to be able to grab a little bite off the food table, have a bite or two and continue on your way. This is why you need these potato bites on your party menu.
Bacon and cheese, crispy and potato…these little appetizer bites will fly off the plate. Gruyere cheese is mild, a little salty. It’s versatile and doesn’t compete or overpower the other flavors in your dish. Subtle, buttery, you’ll want to use Gruyere on lots of recipes.
Where to Find Fillo Cups
If you’ve never used fillo cups before they are one of the best little appetizer enhancers. It can also be spelled as phyllo. So versatile, they are great little vehicles for savory or sweet appetizers or desserts. These aren’t a raw dough, they have been prebaked so are crispy already!
So where do you find these nifty little guys? They’re probably going to be in one of two places. You need to head to the freezer section of your grocery store. In the main grocery store I go to they are at the end of the aisle outside of the freezer in a display. In another store I go to, they are actually inside the freezer door where you find the puff pastry and frozen pies. So, it’s going to depend on your store whether or not they are inside the freezer or not, but chances are they will be in the freezer section. They come in packs of 15 cups, and for this recipe you need three boxes. They cost a little over $2 per box.
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Gruyere and Bacon Potato Bites
Gruyere and Bacon Potato Bites are adorable mini appetizers in fillo cups. Crispy, cheesy, and topped with savory bacon…it’s everything you want in an appetizer. Easy to make, these will keep your guests happy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 45 fillo cups
Ingredients
3 boxes of 15 fillo cups
5 oz block of Gruyere cheese, grated
5 medium sized red potatoes
5 strips of bacon, cut into pieces (using kitchen shears makes this super easy!)
1 tablespoon butter
1 oz cream cheese
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Paprika for garnishing
Instructions
1. Peel and chunk the potatoes, bring a salted pot of water to boil and boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes until a fork can pierce them easily. Then strain and see step 3.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Meanwhile in a large pan over medium heat, add the bacon pieces and cook 10 minutes until crispy. The spoon onto a paper towel lined plate.
3. In a large bowl, add the butter and cream cheese. Spoon the cooked and strained potatoes on top of the butter and cream cheese so they start to melt, then add the grated Gruyere cheese. Mash lightly to combine the butter, cream cheese, and Gruyere to create a smooth consistency. You don’t want this totally smooth like mashed potatoes, a few lumps are ok! Add the salt and garlic powder and stir to blend into the potatoes.
4. Place the fillo cups onto a baking sheet, spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of the potato mixture into each fillo cup, then top each with the bacon pieces. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 15 minutes.
Notes
I prefer to cut the bacon into pieces before cooking it rather than cook the strips and crumble into pieces. Using kitchen shears makes this so easy!
going to make these for Thanksgiving I think, but are they ok cold? or do they have to stay warm?
Hi! I prefer these warm, but if you’re traveling or want these cold I think the flavor will still be OK but texture wise they will be firmer. Keep in mind food safety rules. If you can’t serve immediately keep in the fridge until ready to serve. The FDA recommends the “2 hour rule” for leaving food at room temp…read more here: https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/serving-safe-buffets