Caramelized Onion, Bacon, and Blue Cheese Puff Pastry Tart
Is there anything better than caramelized onions?
Yes…caramelized onions with bacon and puff pastry and blue cheese!
I make a LOT of tarts on this blog (see?!), but somehow there aren’t any savory tarts, and that’s a travesty. I also feel like savory tarts and pies are rather Fall-ish, so this is a perfect time to share this recipe!
Oh, speaking of Fall things…I just ate my first pumpkin goodie! Mikey brought home the most divine slice of pumpkin cake the other night, and my pumpkin obsession has officially been reawakened…so, uh? Beware? Lol! Or get excited, if you’re as typical as I am when it comes to drooling over pumpkin in Autumn.
So this tart…
It’s kind of like a pizza, except the crust is flakey, buttery, crumbly puff pastry, and the sauce/cheese are combined into one in a terribly delicious, creamy, blue cheese spread. Then the whole thing is topped with balsamic onions and crispy bacon—yes, it’s as effing incredible as it sounds.
It makes a fantastic appetizer, or you can serve a few pieces as a meal with a fresh, green salad and a glass of red wine.
If you happen to have some fresh thyme or sage on hand (like I didn’t), I think they would be lovely either sprinkled over top, or mixed into the blue cheese spread.
By the way, you could always make the caramelized onion, spread, and bacon a day ahead of time, then assemble and bake the tart the day you want to serve it, just to save a bit of time.
PrintCaramelized Onion, Bacon, and Blue Cheese Puff Pastry Tart
Yield: 12 pieces
Ingredients:
- 4-5 medium sweet onions, sliced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp good-quality balsamic vinegar
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
- 5 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch squares, and cooked
- salt and pepper
Directions:
- In a large saute pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in the onions and a big pinch of kosher salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 25-35 minutes until cooked down and caramelized (you may need to adjust the heat during the cooking process, so they don't burn). Stir the balsamic vinegar into the onions.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and position the rack in the upper 1/3 of the oven. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and blue cheese with some salt and pepper.
- On a lightly-floured work surface, roll the puff pastry out to a 14x10-inch rectangle. Fold 1/2 to 1 inch of the edges in toward the center on all sides. Transfer to large baking sheet.
- Spread the sour cream and blue cheese mixture into the center of the pastry, and to the edges. Add the caramelized onions evenly over the top, followed by the bacon.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes until the pastry is golden and cooked, and the toppings are bubbly. Allow to cool slightly, and cut into 12 pieces.
adapted from here
Mm, gives plenty of energy for a breakfast treat!
Ooh absolutely! And let me tell you, I know from experience that it pairs amazingly with fried eggs!
This totally looks like a fall-time treat! I love caramelized onions but am usually too impatient to actually do it at home (I know – my laziness knows no bounds!). Since this recipe uses puff pastry, though, I feel like the rest of the tart is easy enough that I can deal with the caramelization process…not to mention, it looks totally worth the wait!
Ew, I just realized that I used “totally” twice in that comment. I’m not a valley girl, I swear!
LOL! I’m guilty of that, too!
And it really is SO easy! Even though caramelizing onions takes awhile, they don’t require much attention, so you can do like 10 others things while they’re cooking, haha.
Hoooolllllyyy… whaaaaat…. hooooow…
Sorry, but I was speechless there for as second. This looks SO good. I need this in my face immediately!
Haha! Thank you, Elizabeth!
OHHHH EMMMMMM GEEEEEEEE. This amazingness has me BEYOND EXCITED. And I love that you can prep it all ahead of time! Hostess winning at its finest right there. This is going to be on my go-to list at all times, thank you!!!!
Right?! I love when I don’t have to be stressing out in the kitchen while I have guests. I tend to get cracky if that happens bahaha!
Holy cow! This tart. . .I mean I am speechless. . .it looks that good. This is definitely showing up on my menu (dinner party or not).. .like now.
Aw thank you, Lynn!
I am currently making this and just put it in the oven. I just realized there is NO mention of the balsamic vinager in the recipe, when it lists it in the ingredients. I even bought a good quality brand and I’m not even sure where to use it…. Did I just waste money on balsamic vinegar I will never use again?! Will my tart be bland?! I’m pissed.
Hi Laura! Don’t worry, your tart won’t be bland! The balsamic is meant to be mixed in with the onions after they are cooked, but you can get the same effect by lightly drizzling it over the entire tart! 🙂
Hi just wanted to know if the blue cheese can be substituted for another kind of cheese!? I have a picky hubby that does not like blue cheese! Thanks in advance
You could try goat cheese, cashew cheese, or even like an herbed ricotta
Could you substitute the blue cheese with the Boursin cheese?
Hi. Not sure if I missed something but am wondering about how many sheets of puff pastry you used. This is a must try and my mouth is already watering!!! Thanks much.
I wonder if this could be rolled to make it a pinwheel and then sliced prior to serving…
So I made this recipe and it was absolutely delicious! The only problem I had, was the crust was not crispy or flaky. It was OK around the edges but the middle was very soft and soggy. Have you ever tried baking the puff pastry first and then adding the caramelized onions and putting them under the broiler? Definitely a keeper but I will have to play around with it to see if I can get it crispy.
Hi Patty—the crust is just store-bought puff pastry, so maybe try another brand next time? So glad you liked the recipe, though 🙂
Really tasty, but next time I think I’ll use feta
This looks os good! What a perfect appetizer for fall!
Thanks for sharing How far ahead of time can I make it?