A party snack that you can hold in just one hand, freeing your other hand for a glass of something boozy, is the best kind of party food. These Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Tarts look impressive, and only take about an hour total to cook. You’ll spend the most time caramelizing the onions, but once they have cooled slightly, the recipe comes together pretty quickly. This recipe can be easily doubled — even tripled! — depending on the size of your party.
The frozen puff pastry should be defrosted but still cold to the touch. Serve the tarts with a crisp, fruity sparkling white wine to complement the caramelized onion’s inherent sweetness (and it’s just also dang delicious). We love Michel Gonet Blanc de Noirs Champagne NV.
Yield: 9 tartlets
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 medium-sized sweet onions, such as Vidalia, sliced into half-moons
½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
¼ cup vegetable stock
8 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, roughly chopped
Directions
In a medium skillet set over medium heat, drizzle in the olive oil and add the sliced onions. Sprinkle the salt over the onions and stir occasionally. After about 5 minutes of cooking, pour in the vegetable stock and stir to combine.
Reduce heat to low and let the onions continue to cook and caramelize for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove onions from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the goat cheese and black pepper. Mix well using a rubber spatula and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Unroll the defrosted puff pastry and place on the baking sheet. Spread the goat cheese mixture evenly over the puff pastry, leaving a ½-inch border on all sides.
Spoon the caramelized onions evenly over the goat cheese and sprinkle the fresh thyme on top.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the puff pastry has become golden brown, and the goat cheese mixture bubbles gently.
Let tart cool for 10 minutes, then using a serrated knife slice into approximately 3×3-inch tartlets.
Serve immediately with your preferred sparkling white wine.
Teresa Finney is a food writer, recipe developer and third generation Mexican-American originally from the Bay Area, CA, now based in Atlanta, GA.