This delicious sweet potato bites recipe with cheese is an easy gluten free appetizer that your guests, friends and family will totally love. Enjoy this fun twist on a classic grilled cheese.
I’ve told this story to anyone who will listen, but here I go telling it again. When I was a kid, a grilled cheese sandwich was pretty much one of the only foods I would eat. I mean, what kid wouldn’t get excited about buttery bread and cheese?! Well one day, my mom over-browned the bread in the pan and I got so upset about it, I asked her to “wash” the grilled cheese sandwich because it looked dirty to me. Now, of course today I know that brown = flavour and I will take as much brown as my pan will give me, but back then, that logic seemed strong.
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Why This Recipe Works
While I still love bread (like, a lot), I have been experimenting with sweet potato toast so much that I thought it would be fun to swap sweet potatoes for bread in this sweet potato bites recipe. These are the best thing since sliced bread. I also love this recipe because it’s:
- Gluten and bread free, perfect for those with dietary restrictions!
- Perfect for entertaining guests AND kids also gobble them up
- A great way to add an extra few servings of vegetables into your meals
- A versatile recipe as well as you can use whatever cheeses you have on hand.
Key Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes – Did you know that sweet potatoes are highly nutritious? Sweet potatoes are a great source of fibre, vitamins, and minerals and are a great additional to your daily meals.
Cheeses – In these amazing sweet potato bites, I decided to use my favourite cheese, St. Honor. This is a triple cream brie that is crazy soft, creamy, rich and buttery with a mild flavour perfect with sweet potatoes. You’ll also want another cheese that goes well with it, so I picked a nice aged white cheddar.
Red Pear – The red pears have a subtle fruity sweetness to it that goes so well with the cheeses and compliments the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Thinly slice the sweet potatoes into 2 mm thick slices.
Step 2: Heat half of the olive oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet and add in the sweet potato rounds in batches. Brown on each side for about 2-3 minutes per side before transferring to a paper towel lined plate.
Step 3: Add a slice of brie cheese (about 1-2 mm thick) on top of half of the sweet potato rounds, top with a thin slice of pear, a good pinch of grated cheddar and the other sweet potato round.
Step 4: Heat the remaining butter and oil in the skillet and pan fry again until the cheese melts and the sweet potato bite is golden on the outside.
Expert Tips
Make sure you cut your sweet potatoes the same thickness. This ensures that everything cooks evenly at the same time and you don’t end up with an uncooked sweet potato bite!
If you’re having difficulties slicing the sweet potatoes, you can use a mandolin! It ensures everything is sliced to the same thickness. You can use the mandolin to slice the red pear as well.
Try to purchase sweet potatoes that are the same size as well. You don’t want them too thick in the middle and tapered at the end as you end up not using the whole thing as they’re not the same size.
You can use a nonstick pan or a cast iron for this sweet potato bites recipe. Just be sure it’s well oiled to prevent sticking.
Recipe FAQs
No, you can use any crisp fruit of your choice. Apples are a great alternative to pear.
While they taste best straight out of the pan, you can make them ahead by slicing and grilling the sweet potato slices ahead of time and storing it in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Then when ready to serve, heat it up on the stovetop and add in the cheese and pear.
If you prefer to not peel the sweet potatoes, be sure to scrub them as clean as you can.
More Recipes You May Like
Want more sweet potato recipes? Here are some of my favourites!
- Vegan Guacamole Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
- High Protein Chicken Curry with Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes
- Vegan Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with PB&J
Have you tried this sweet potato bites recipe? Leave me a comment below letting me know how you liked them!
Sweet Potato Bites Recipe with Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 large long sweet potatoes peeled
- 150 g Brie cheese
- 1 cup Aged white cheddar finely grated
- 1/2 red pear thinly sliced
Instructions
- Thinly slice the sweet potatoes into 2 mm slices.
- Heat half of the oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet and add in the sweet potato rounds in batches. Brown on each side for about 2-3 minutes per side before transferring to a paper towel lined plate.
- Add a slice of brie cheese (about 1-2 mm thick) on top of half of the sweet potato rounds, top with a thin slice of pear, a good pinch of grated cheddar and the other sweet potato round.
- Heat the remaining butter and oil in the skillet and pan fry again until the cheese melts and the grilled cheese is golden on the outside. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Laura says
Well these are just the cutest grilled cheese sandwiches ever! How clever to use sweet potato!
Abbey Sharp says
Right! So delicious
Amy Gorin says
Yum! I’m always on the lookout for a gluten free party appetizer. I’ll have to try these!
Abbey Sharp says
Yes! You must try this recipe!
Lisa says
I wasn’t sure about how this was going to taste but I was completely in love with the first bite. It is so mild yet creamy and so flavorful all at once. The red pear really adds the perfect complement to the soft Brie. I made my sweet potato rounds extra crispy just to get that different texture and they are a huge hit!
Thank you so much for a simple easy and absolutely delicious appetizer.
Abbey Sharp says
right!! crazy good! So glad you loved it! Thanks for sharing Lisa!
Natalie says
I’m soooo into sweet potatoes right now. And this sounds like such a great idea. I love melted cheese and flavors. I have to make this.
Abbey Sharp says
Yes! You’ll love this
GiGi Eats says
I truly cannot live without sweet potato. I didn’t eat it for about 23 years of my life so I am MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME NOW! hahaha!
Abbey Sharp says
Haha well I’m glad you’re catching up!
Rebecca says
Which type of pear do you recommend?
Abbey Sharp says
red pear!
Hyacinth says
2 millimeters of sweet potatoes? I don’t understand
Abbey Sharp says
like cut them into very thin rounds
Tara @ A Daily Dose of Fit says
Oh, man. Straight to my heart with the brie! So good always.
Abbey Sharp says
ahah me too girl
Jill Conyers says
Adding a pear to this is brilliant. So many wonderful flavors.
Abbey Sharp says
omg yes, love pear in GC
Carmy says
As someone who’s a huge fan of grilled cheese, I definitely need to try this!
Abbey Sharp says
YES YOU DO!;)
dixya @food, pleasure, and health says
so happy see a recipe with sweet potatoes that wont require a toaster. i will have to give this a try very soon because its cheese + sweet potatoes.
Abbey Sharp says
yes its soo easy too
Christina Bauer says
What a clever idea! These look so tasty. I will always love classic grilled cheese sandwiches – I prefer to use multiple cheeses (Wisconsinite, after all), such as a mixture of 5-year aged cheddar and melty gouda, plus parmesan for added saltiness on the bread.
Abbey Sharp says
yummm sounds amazing
Mikki says
How fun are these!! I can’t do the regular cheese but I may have to try these with some dairy free cheese. YUM!
Abbey Sharp says
yes, give it a go!
Chrissy says
These do sound easy and a hit with the littles. They look amazing too. And of course we love the classic grilled cheese sandwich.
Abbey Sharp says
yes, they’re like mini GC!
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says
oh my goodness these look fantastic!! I want them now
Abbey Sharp says
Haha yes, any day is a good day for GC