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steak appetizer with bacon sweet potato and blue cheese
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5 from 2 votes

Steak Appetizer with Bacon Sweet Potato and Blue Cheese

Need the perfect appetizer for any occasion? This Steak Appetizer is pretty next level! All you need is some good steak, bacon, caramelized onions, and a tangy blue cheese sauce served on a sweet potato round. It's bursting with flavor and the ultimate party snack!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 people
Calories: 233kcal
Author: Briana

Ingredients

  • 3.5 teaspoons kosher salt, divided (or to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper, divided (or to taste)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into ¼ inch rounds, skin on
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 10 ounces blue cheese crumbles, divided
  • 5 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 4 ounces Greek yogurt
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon honey (or to taste)
  • 1 whole lemon juice and zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives
  • 6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
  • 2 pounds New York strip steak (any cut of steak you prefer)
  • Garnish with: chives, honey, blue cheese crumbles, salt, and pepper
  • Serve with: remaining blue cheese sauce on the side

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 400°F and prepare a large sheet pan with parchment. Set aside.

Caramelize onions:

  • Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, add butter and onions with a pinch of salt. Cook for 30 - 40 minutes, until the onions are nice and browned, moving every 5 minutes or so to ensure even cooking.
    In the last 15 minutes or so of cooking, add balsamic vinegar to the onions. Once onions are nice and caramelized, remove them from the skillet and set them aside. 

Bake the sweet potato rounds:

  • While onions are caramelizing on the stovetop, toss sweet potato rounds in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add to a prepared baking sheet, and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are softened and lightly brown, flipping halfway through.

Make blue cheese sauce:

  • Combine lemon juice and zest, cream cheese, sour cream, 1 tablespoon of honey, most of the blue cheese crumbles, and most of the chives with a little salt and pepper. Food process until smooth, and add salt and pepper to taste.
    *Make sure to reserve some blue cheese crumbles and chives for garnishing later. Cover and refrigerate sauce until time to use.

Prepare the bacon:

  • Back in your skillet, wipe it clean after caramelizing the onions.
    Heat the skillet over medium heat, cook bacon pieces until fat is rendered and pieces are cooked through, 7-10 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Clean the skillet again.

Cook the steak:

  • Season the steaks with salt and pepper, and add steaks back to a hot skillet with olive oil. Sear for 3-5 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the steak and your preferred temperature is reached. Allow steaks to rest for 10 minutes before slicing in.

Assemble:

  • Add a nice smear of the blue cheese sauce to each sweet potato, followed by the caramelized onions, steak, blue cheese crumbles, then bacon. Layer on a drizzle of honey to taste, chives, freshly cracked pepper, and salt. Enjoy! 
  • Store components separately in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Notes

  • You will want to cut the sweet potato rounds thick enough to hold well, about ¼ inch thick. You will need large sweet potatoes.
  • This recipe makes about 48 pieces, and 2 pieces are a serving, making enough for 24 people. 
  • You can use any cut of steak you prefer, but since we made this recipe with New York strip, the macros will reflect this. 
  • Prepare all ingredients except for the steak ahead of time to save time when time to serve! 
  • Hint: Use a meat thermometer to track the internal temperature, and remove the steak from the skillet 5°F below the desired internal temperature. It will reach the desired temperature when resting. For example, we prefer our steak medium-rare (about 130°F), so we take the steaks off when they are about 125°F internally.

Nutrition

Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 597mg | Potassium: 290mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4247IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 1mg