Recipe: Rustic Onion Tart with Bacon and Mushrooms

Rustic tarts are so easy to make and are so tasty… you can fill them with a combination of so many things. So why do I like rustic tarts so much? Loving a rustic tart is never having to say you’re sorry for how it looks… you laugh… but truly … that is the truth. The taste is where it counts.

My tart bled through the crust… so how did I handle it?.... I blotted around the tart with paper towel which really cleaned up the parchment paper very well… then I transferred the tart using the parchment paper to a wooden serving platter I planned to use…. I used kitchen shears to cut the parchment paper around the tart. The result?… while not perfect… it worked well enough.

Cutting this tart for the first two pieces wasn’t the neatest thing I ever cut… but we didn’t mind… it tasted so good… the remaining pieces cut .. picture perfect.

TIPS

I have a solution for the watery leakage… you really need to drain the onion and mushroom mixture better than I did… I thought using a slotted spoon would be enough… I really should have known better… next time I will let it drain for a few minutes in a strainer before assembling the tart.

I also over filled the tart a little too much… I always seem to do that… the filling just tastes so good… next time I will cut down on the ingredients by about a third… instead of three large onions… I will use only two onions… the mushroom quantity will be the same ….as will the bacon and the cheese…(these changes are reflected in the recipe).

This is a fabulous appetizer to serve to quests… but I would suggest you make mini tartlets and serve one per person… make three circles per 10 inch pie crust… and bake until crust is a light golden color … fill sparingly.. you want to be able to slide them off the parchment paper to a plate.

Gruyere is best… but tends to be expensive… Sargento makes an Artisan Blend of shredded Gruyere and Swiss that is excellent and affordable…

I used a mix of red and yellow onions… I liked to use the pungent red onions with a mild yellow onion.

Serve with a white wine… I served a Sauvignon Blanc… it was absolutely terrific.

I hope you try this!






Recipe: Rustic Onion Tart with Bacon and Mushrooms

All you need:

1 pie crust (homemade or store bought)
1 (8oz.) pkg. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 sliced thick cut smoked bacon
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
About 5-6 turns of the pepper mill
Sprinkling of dried thyme (optional)
¾ cup Sargento Artisan Blend Shredded Gruyere and Swiss cheese

All you need to do:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the onions in half, then slice very thin (half moons).

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat until cooked slightly crisp but still pliable.

Remove the bacon from the pan and remove all but 1 tablespoon bacon grease (that’s all I had left in the pan… my bacon was fairly lean).

Coarsely chop the bacon and set aside.

Add the butter and olive oil to the skillet and heat until butter is melted.

Turn heat down to medium and add the onions.

Cook the onions for about 10 minutes or until very soft and slightly brown. Stir often.

Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for about 8 minutes until mushrooms are soft.

Season with salt and pepper and dried thyme (if using).

Pour the mixture into a strainer and allow to drain off the excess water from the mushrooms for about 5 minutes.

Place the pie crust in the middle of the parchment paper (you should have a 10-11 inch round).



Spoon the onion and mushroom mixture onto the middle of the pie dough leaving 1 ½ to 2 inches of border.



Sprinkle the chopped bacon on top of the onion mixture.

Sprinkle ½ cup of the shredded cheese on top of the mixture.


Fold up the sides of the crust to the middle leaving an opening in the middle.

Sprinkle remaining cheese over the open middle.


Bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees F. or until crust is a light golden brown.

Serve hot.