Potato Stacks with Jalapeno Popper Cream Cheese

Jalapeño Popper Potato Stacks are creamy, cheesy and baked in muffin tins. They’re perfect as appetizers, party food, or an elevated side dish.

Jalapeño Popper Potato Stacks take party food to the next level. Thin slices of potato are layered with a creamy jalapeño popper-style cream cheese filling, then baked in a muffin tin until golden and tender.

The result is a crave-worthy bite that’s perfect as a handheld appetizer, a fun game day snack or a fancy side dish that’ll impress at any dinner table.

What are potato stacks?

Potato stacks are a clever way to make potatoes au gratin in a small portable size.

They’re made by stacking very thin slices of potato and layering them with a creamy sauce. Then, you add cheese and bake them until they’re golden brown and crispy on top.

What makes this recipe unique is that I don’t use just any cream sauce. I prepare a jalapeno popper sauce made with bacon, jalapeños and cream cheese.

I developed this recipe for a BBQ contest I entered in Idaho called the Meat and Tater BBQ Festival. We had to use Idaho potatoes in the dish. My entry took 2nd place, and I only lost to first place by .0116 points.

I made several extras and passed them around, and one team said it’s one of the best bites they’ve ever had.

Jalapeno Popper Cream Cheese Sauce

Get Recipe Ingredients

• Heat Oven or Grill: Set your oven to 350F degrees. If using a grill, heat it to 350F degrees with an indirect heat zone. Line a muffin tin with 12 tulip cupcake liners.

• Brown Bacon: In a sauce pot, melt the butter and cook the bacon until brown and crispy.

• Saute Veg: Add the shallot, jalapeño and garlic. Sauté for 30-60 seconds.

• Make Cream Sauce: Stir in the flour to a make roux. Add the milk, cream cheese and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce thickens. Season with salt and bouillon. Remove from the heat.

• Slice Potatoes: Use a mandoline on its thinnest setting to slice one potato. You’ll need 84 slices.

• Layer: Dip a potato slice in the cream sauce. Place in a cupcake liner. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Repeat so you have a stack of 7 slices. Top with more cheddar cheese.

• Top: Sprinkle more Parmesan cheese and some breadcrumbs on top of each stack. Add a thin jalapeno slice and sprinkle with Creole seasoning.

• Bake: Place in a 350F degree oven for 25-30 minutes or a 350F degree smoker for 40 minutes. Cook to an internal temperature of 205-210F degrees.

• Cool: Remove from the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes, so the cream sets. Remove the stacks from the liners. Place on platter and serve.

You can also use regular cupcake liners. I use the tulip ones because they have taller sides, which helps create the cheese wisps.  

Calories: 178kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 8gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 439mgPotassium: 161mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 405IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 213mgIron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Be sure to rate it, leave a comment and save it so you can make it again. Show off your awesome results on social by tagging @girlscangrill

What you’ll need

Equipment

• Mandoline Slicer: This will help you get the thinnest potato slices possible.
• Tulip Cupcake Liners: I like using these because the cheese sticks to the high sides. Then, when I peel them off, I’m left with lacy cheese crisps.

Ingredients

• Butter: Use salted butter or unsalted butter
• Bacon
• Shallot: This is a small, mild and sweet onion.
• Jalapeno: You’ll need this for the cream cheese sauce and for the topping.
• Garlic
• Flour
• Milk: I recommend using whole milk.
• Cream Cheese: I let it get to room temperature so it melts more quickly and evenly.
• Parmesan Cheese: Grated parm will go in the sauce and on top.
• Kosher Salt
• Chicken Bouillon: I use the Knorr brand powder.
• Idaho Russet Potato
• Cheddar Cheese: Or any other type of shredded cheese you’d like to use.
• Panko Breadcrumbs: These add the perfect crispy crunch on top.
• Cajun Seasoning: Just a pinch to add that final pop of flavor.

Substitutions: You can sub the shallot with any type of onion. To make mini potato stacks, use smaller potatoes, like red potatoes or yukon golds. 

See the full recipe card above for servings and a full list of ingredients.

How to cook potato stacks

Step 1: Brown bacon

Place the butter and bacon in a sauce pot on the stove over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes to brown the butter and crisp up the bacon.

Step 2: Sauté veggies

Add the chopped shallot, jalapeno and garlic to the pot. Sauté for about 30 seconds.

Step 3: Make roux

Add the flour to the pot. Stir and let it brown a bit for about 30 seconds to cut the raw flavor of the flour. This will help thicken the sauce.

Step 4: Finish the sauce

Add the milk, cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese to the pot. Stir and continue cooking until the cream cheese is fully melted and the sauce thickens.

Add the salt and chicken bouillon seasoning.

Step 5: Slice potatoes

For really thin slices, use a mandoline slicer on its thinnest setting. Wash your potato and run it across the mandoline. You’ll need 7 slices per potato stack.

Step 6: Layer

Line a muffin pan with tulip cupcake liners. Preheat the oven or smoker to 350F degrees. If using a smoker, be sure to set up an indirect heat zone.

Dip a paper thin slice of potato into the jalapeno popper cream cheese sauce. Add it to a muffin liner. Top with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese. Repeat for all 12 muffin cups.

Continue with the potato slices until you have 7 layers. Add cheddar cheese to that top layer.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: If you want to prep this potato stacks recipe in advance, stop at this point and refrigerate the pan for 1-2 days. When you're ready to serve them, move to step 7. You may need to increase bake time. 

Step 7: Top the potato stacks

Top each potato stack with some Parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs and thin slices of jalapeno pepper. I also like to add a pinch of Cajun seasoning.

Step 8: Bake the potato stacks

Place the pan in a preheated oven or grill and bake until the internal temperature of the muffins reaches 205-210F degrees. That’s the perfect temp for a creamy potato.

In an oven, they’ll take 25-30 minutes. In my smoker, they take 35-40 minutes. You want them to be golden brown and the cheese should be bubbly.

PRO TIP: For accurate results, I use a Thermapen ONE meat thermometer and insert it toward the bottom of the stack. 

Step 9: Cool and unwrap

Let the potato stacks cool for at least 10 minutes. This helps the cheese harden a bit, so when you peel away the liners, you get crispy, lacy edges.

How to serve potato stacks

These potatoes are an excellent side dish for steak. They also make a great appetizer for the holidays or for a tailgate party.

Simply add them to a platter or onto your plate and enjoy.

An added touch for BBQ ancillaries

This recipe took second place at the 2025 Meat and Tater BBQ Festival in Idaho in the potato ancillary category.

As an added touch, I sprinkled the top of each potato stack with bacon. First, I cooked the bacon. Then, I let it cool and ground it up in a spice grinder.

I finished each stack with a few slices of green onions.

Storage

Leftover potato stacks can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat them in the microwave or air fryer. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.