Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Tartlets with Blue Cheese

Appetizers

After submitting all my dessert recipes to the Pillsbury Bake-Off (please cross your fingers for me!), I had a few extra ingredients in the fridge to use – one package of pie crusts and one roll of cookie dough. I had developed so many sweet treats that I stuffed the cookie dough in the back of a drawer and took out the pie crusts instead with an appetizer idea in mind.

I combined caramelized onions, mushrooms, and spinach to make a yummy filling for little mini tarts made with a mini muffin pan. Then I topped the tartlets with blue cheese. These were so cute and perfect for a party, or in our case, dinner!

p.s. Don’t forget to get in your bids for the Bloggers Bake for Hope Bake Sale that benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure!

Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Tartlets with Blue Cheese
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
8 ounces sliced mushrooms, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces baby spinach
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 box Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts (15 ounces), softened according to package directions

Directions:
Heat butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add onions, cover pan, and cook for 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, or until onions are caramelized.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add mushrooms and sauté 5 to 7 minutes or until tender; add garlic and sauté 1 additional minute. Place cooked mushrooms in a large bowl. Add baby spinach to the same skillet and stir until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add spinach to the large bowl with the mushrooms. Mix in caramelized onions and salt.

Heat oven to 375˚F. Unroll pie crusts and place on a flat work surface. Use a 2 1/2-inch round cutter to cut 12 rounds from each crust. Press each round in the bottom of 24 cups of an ungreased mini-muffin cup pan and press dough up the sides to form cups. Fill evenly with caramelized onion mushroom filling and bake at 375˚F for 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes and remove from mini-muffin cups. Sprinkle evenly with blue cheese. Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition: 138 calories, 10.1g fat, 0.7g fiber, 2.7g protein per serving
Cost: $0.68 per serving

Plantain and Black Bean Quesadillas

So, I have to admit that we’re not huge football fans – in fact, I actually always feel a bit lucky that Apolinaras grew up in Europe and doesn’t follow any American sports at all, so I never get stuck watching them. But, I always insist we tune into the Super Bowl...

Plantain Nachos

The Super Bowl is almost here! I love having the excuse to whip up a bunch of fun appetizers and if you’re not in the mood for football chicken cakes, I have the most mouth watering snack for you – plantain nachos! These are my absolute favorite nachos of all time and...

Cranberry Pecan Brie Bites

Party season is finally here! I’ve been getting into the holiday spirit by having hot chocolate after dinner every night and singing along to Christmas carols in the car (I was in chorus in high school and know all the words!). But tomorrow things will get into full...

Loaded Sweet Potato Skins

Football season is finally here! Ok, so I admit I actually only know this because I saw a game on while I was browsing through the tv channels on the elliptical at the gym. I’m not actually a huge football fan, and much to my brother’s horror, I’ve never tailgated at...

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Hummus

We have a serious hummus/pita bread ratio problem at our house. Whenever we get a tub of hummus from Trader Joe’s and a pack of pita, the hummus disappears before we’re done with the pita bread! Most of the time I discover the poor forgotten pita in the back of the...

Manchego Stuffed Spanish Meatballs

Apolinaras and I enjoyed a fun Spanish themed dinner party last week. Elina hosted and made fideos with ham, shrimp, and clams, which was just delicious, and Shannon covered dessert and brought cupcakes filled with dulce de leche and topped with almond cream...

Sushi Spring Rolls

You may have noticed I’ve posting less often than usual. I normally try to get about two recipes up per week, but between the exhaustion and nausea of the past several months, I just haven’t spent any time in the kitchen...yep, I’m pregnant!! Apolinaras and I are just...

Pizza Onion Rings

A couple months ago, Apolinaras and I spent a long weekend in Chicago. I was scheduled to give a seminar about my lab’s research at the AACR conference at McCormick center, and Apolinaras tagged along to keep me company. Apolinaras and I went to college and grad...