A game day spread isn’t limited to party dips, chicken wings, and sandwiches. Enter the humble potato for a hearty starter to set the tone of your watch party. From a cheesy potato tart to crispy sausage-stuffed potato skins and all kinds of fries, here’s a variety of crowd-pleasing potato appetizers to kick off your football festivities.
Cacio e Pepe Potato Croquettes
Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Ward / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall
Cacio e pepe takes the shape of crisp, golden croquettes in this playful appetizer reinterpretation. A blend of riced russet and Yukon Gold potatoes is seasoned with Pecorino Romano, plenty of black pepper, and a touch of garlic, then wrapped around a cube of Fontina cheese that melts into a gooey center as the croquettes fry.
Parmesan-Crusted Smashed Potatoes
Will Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey
Tender boiled baby potatoes are gently flattened, coated on both sides with a savory blend of roasted garlic, Parmesan cheese, and finely chopped fresh rosemary, then roasted until irresistibly crisp.
Potato-Gruyère Tart
Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Sue Mitchell
Flaky store-bought puff pastry serves as the foundation for this low-lift tart. Caramelized onions and thin slices of tender potatoes bake atop a bed of thyme, mustard, Gruyère, and cream for an appetizer that will have everyone competing for the last slice.
Crispy Potato Skins with Chorizo
Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
Baked three times to achieve the perfect texture, these hollowed-out potato skins are loaded with smoky chorizo and sharp cheddar, crowned with lime-infused crema, and topped with scallions, radishes, and cilantro.
Dirty Martini Dip Mini Stuffed Potatoes
Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Sally McKay / Prop Styling by Abby Armstrong
Turn the beloved cocktail into a two-bite party appetizer with twice-baked baby Yukon Gold potatoes — after roasting them until they’re tender, fill them with a rich, bold blend of pungent blue cheese, cream cheese, and briny olive juice.
Poutine
Carson Downing / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco
Fresh-cut fries are studded with warm cheddar cheese curds and drizzled with rich red wine gravy for an irresistible snack that hits all the marks.
Air Fryer French Fries
Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Julian Hensaring / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
Use your air fryer to make crispy, restaurant-worthy fries at home in less than half an hour with nothing more than russet potatoes, salt, and a couple tablespoons of oil.
Sweet Potato Tater Tots
Carson Downing / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco
These homemade tater tots are easy to prepare: Simply parboil your sweet potato then grate, mix, form, and fry. (Freezing the tots before frying helps them hold their shape.) Serve with mustard or aioli for dipping.
Potato Crust Wraps
Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Anna Theoktisto in the Food & Wine Test Kitchen turns cheesy sliced Yukon Gold potatoes into delectable (and gluten-free) wraps that are filled with prosciutto, pear, and arugula.
Mini Kabob Potatoes
Julia Stotz / Food Styling by Caroline K. Hwang / Prop Styling by Samantha Margherita
Small in size, big on flavor, these fried potatoes from Los Angeles institution Mini Kabob are perfect for noshing on like chips or dipping in spreads such as hummus.
Aloo Samosas
Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Gabe Greco
These baked vegetarian Punjabi-style samosas showcase cumin-spiced potatoes and peas enveloped in homemade pastry — there’s oil in the dough to ensure the samosas turn crisp and golden in the oven.
Barbecue-Spiced Potato Chips
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Pre-soak potatoes in vinegar before frying, then toss the hot chips in a spicy mixture of chipotle powder, sugar, salt, paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and garlic powder.
Sweet Potato Oven Fries
Matt Taylor-Gross
Customize these fries with seasonings of your choice: pimentón or Urfa biber for a little smokiness, chile powder to bring the heat, or herbs for an earthy boost. Then dip away in your favorite condiment.
Crispy Potatoes with Avocado Salsa
Even without frying, fingerling potatoes maintain their crispy texture in this recipe, which gets its zing from avocado salsa and spicy jalapeños. You can roast the spuds and chill up to three days ahead.
Perkedel Kentang (Indonesian Potato Fritters)
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
Go all out with these crispy-creamy fried potato snacks from Indonesian Australian chef Lara Lee. Sharp white pepper and sweet shallots give them their special flavor.
Kwame’s Waffle Fries
2019 F&W Best New Chef Kwame Onwuachi uses the Ethiopian spice blend berbere to enliven homemade waffle fries made with russet potatoes.
Tater Tot Nachos (Tatchos) with Kimchi Cheese Sauce
Why settle for Tater Tots or nachos when this crowd-pleasing appetizer combines both, topped with a savory kimchi gravy, chile peppers, and cilantro?
Sweet Potato and Feta Bourekas
Frozen puff pastry sheets make easy work of these crisp and savory little parcels. Inspired by his grandmother’s recipe, chef Michael Solomonov’s version is stuffed with sweet potato, Bulgarian feta, dill, and olives.
Poutine-Style Twice-Baked Potatoes
Con Poulos
These decadent baked potatoes are stuffed with sour cream and Parmigiano-Reggiano then topped with a generous helping of tangy gravy, gooey mozzarella, smoky bacon bits, and fried potato skins.
Pimiento Cheese Fries
Lucas Allen
A tequila-spiked pimiento cheese topping takes standard french fries to the next level. The pimiento mixture is also adaptable if you prefer to serve it as a dip on the side.
Crispy, Creamy Potato Puffs
These amazing, pop-in-your-mouth snacks are a cross between mashed potatoes and french fries.
