Mushroom & Cheddar Tart

Another Meatless Monday recipe, I was looking for something different. I saw we had a puff pastry in the freezer and started thinking, "what can I make, other than baked brie, with the puff?" We always have cheddar in the fridge (we are from Wisconsin after all) so I was thinking some sort of tart. All I needed was some onion and mushroom to make the dish complete.

I began by chopping up shallots and mushrooms. I had some oyster mushrooms and baby bellas, but you can use whatever you find on hand or at the store. I sauteed up the shallots in some olive oil and added garlic. Once those were softened, I dropped in the mushrooms until they were all softened. Some seasoning was added (I believe I added garlic wine seasoning and black pepper) and I set that aside.

I had the puff pastry defrosting while I was prepping everything else, so it was ready to go when I finished up with the mushrooms. I had rolled it out just a tiny bit and cut it into four pieces before placing it on a cookie sheet. A note here - I didn't have parchment paper, but if I did, I would have put that down on the pan. Instead, I very lightly sprayed the sheet and it ended up more greasy than I would have liked. I'm sure parchment isn't needed (or the spray), but if you have, lay it down!

To prevent the puff pastry from, well, puffing up, I pierced it with a fork. I topped it with extra sharp cheddar cheese, the mushroom mix and then a bit more cheddar.

These baked in a preheated, 350 degree oven until they were crispy and golden. Chives add a crisp freshness to the savory tart, and I served them with a mixed green salad dressed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil to lighten it a bit more. Hubby was starving, but after his salad and one tart, he was surprised with how full he really was. I even got the much anticipated "I didn't even miss the meat!" which I'm sure is due to the variety of mushrooms. And normally, he insists on overloading his food with cheese, but each had at most one ounce and it was more than enough. The leftovers the next day heated up great too - all around, a great meal!

What do you like to cook with puff pastry?

I've made a goat cheese and tomato tart with puff pastry before and think nothing goes better with puff pastry than cheese!

Fun and Fearless in Beantown on February 3, 2011 at 12:32 PM

Yummo. I've never used pastry puff before, but I have some in my freezer:).

Anonymous on February 3, 2011 at 2:55 PM

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Mushroom & Cheddar Tart