Frozen Puff Pastry Recipe: Onion Tart with Bacon Cubes and Creamy Blue Cheese

It's kind of a clean-out-the-fridge savory tart recipe. There were some leftover creamy blue cheese and a small piece of chunky bacon. Instead of finishing the cheese with some bread and simply store the bacon in the freezer like I normally do, let's make something nicer and turn these leftover ingredients into a savory afternoon snack.

Onion tart with bacon cubes and creamy blue cheese -

Ingredients (4 to 6 portions)?

• 1 sheet or 4 squares frozen puff pastry
• Small chunk or 0.2 lb bacon
• 1 onion
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• Some olive oil
• Some creamy blue cheese (or other types of creamy cheese)
• Some thyme

How?

Defrost the puff pastry sheets according to the packaging instruction. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll out the defrosted puff pastry sheets cut into 4 to 6 smaller rectangles. Cut and reshape the sheets if needed. Transfer the squares onto the backing sheet. Cut a small slit on all four corners. Use the back of the knife to create a border line about 1/3 inch away from the outer edge then fold in the sides. Prick the center with a fork -

Peel and slice the onion. Cube the bacon. Use a pot or small pan, if using leaner part of bacon then drizzle in 1 tablespoon of olive. If using fatty bacon then there's no need for extra oil. 

Add in the bacon cubes and turn to medium heat. Stir once a while and sear till the fat has rendered and the edges turned slightly browned. Scoop out the bacon but leaving the dripping inside the pot -

Still using the same pot, add in sliced onion sprinkle some salt. Drizzle a little bit more olive oil if needed, just to evenly coat the bottom of the pot. Turn to medium low heat and sear the onion slices for about 10 minutes till the edges turned browned -

Pour in balsamic vinegar and keep cooking for another 15 to 18 minutes. Add the bacon back into the pot and mix well -

Spread the onion and bacon mixture to the center of the pastry sheets. Crumble some creamy blue cheese on top of the mixture. There's no need to brush egg wash on the sides. Into the oven for 15 to 18 minutes -

Once ready, remove from heat and let the tarts cool down a few minutes. Sprinkle some fresh thyme or lesser amount of dry thyme before serving -

Do not use too much salt when prepping the caramelized onion since the bacon and cheese already got some flavors. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit for a more browned and nearly burnt aroma.  


Other recipe using frozen puff pastry:

• Plum tomatoes and two cheeses blend tarts using puff pastry sheet