In case you haven’t noticed, the holidays are upon us.⛄ (Thank you Target, Best Buy and Walmart for making sure I got the memo – a month ago!) To get you in the holiday spirit here’s a little tune we came up with to be sung to the tune of “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let it Snow!” ❄❄❄
Oh the smells in the kitchen are awesome,
In our cozy home in Boston,
Fixing wonderful things you can make,
Let us bake, let us bake, let us bake!
Crushing cloves and mincing ginger,
Amazing smells that like to linger,
Through the window watch the falling flakes,
While we bake, while we bake, while we bake!
When the timer dings your treats are done,
Slowly open up the oven door,
Remember the trays are hot,
So you don’t drop the food on the floor.
Yes it’s hard to be the example,
But let the goodies cool before you sample,
Taste And See all we helped you make,
You can bake, you can bake, YOU CAN BAKE!
The holidays can be a fun and busy time of year. Everyone is putting up lights and menorahs, shopping for the perfect gifts, attending soirees, hosting parties and spreading lots of holiday cheer. In light of all this celebrating, I thought I would use the month of December to highlight some of my favorite easy appetizers for entertaining. Who doesn’t love a tasty and simple appetizer recipe?
Today we’re talking about tarts two ways. Both are savory and have great flavor, but they’re still very different. Usually I pick up the puff pastry dough from the freezer section at my local grocery store. This cuts down on the work/time and it’s always perfect, which is a huge win win. The dough comes in packs of two…perfect for making tarts two ways! Or pick one recipe and make two of the same. Either way you will not be disappointed!
The Sausage with Spinach and Caramelized Onion is a little spicy from the hot sausage but also slightly sweet with the Caramelized onions – the perfect balance. And it’s all sandwiched together between layers of buttery, nutty Fontina cheese.
The tomato tart is a bit tangy from the thinly sliced Campari tomatoes and pairs perfectly with the fresh thyme. It’s like they were made for each other.? Add in the mixture of the three cheeses and you’ve got yourself one gooey, salty, nutty sheet of perfection.
Keep checking in with Taste And See…we’ll be serving up many more mouthwatering appetizer recipes in the weeks to come.
Do you have a favorite appetizer you make during the holidays? If so, tell us about it by commenting below, we’d love to hear all the deets!!!
Savory crunchy goodness - cheddar & tomato are always a perfect combination!
- 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry
- 7 inch Campari tomatoes, ends trimmed and sliced into 1/4 slices
- 4 ounces white cheddar, shredded
- 4 ounces yellow cheddar, shredded
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove puff pastry from the freezer and allow to thaw for 20 minutes.
- Using a rolling pin on a floured surface, roll out pastry dough to a 12x12 inch square.
- Brush 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil on the dough.
- Sprinkle half the white and yellow cheddar onto the crust.
- Place the tomatoes in rows on the pastry dough - 4 or 5 slices in a line.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over the whole tart, then sprinkle thyme onto each tomato slice, then the rest of the thyme over the entire pastry.
- Next, sprinkle Parmesan onto each tomato slice and then the rest all over the tart.
- Finish by placing the other half of the white and yellow cheddar evenly over the entire tart.
- Fold the edges of the dough over onto itself to make a raised edge all the way around the tart, pleating the edge with your fingers as you go. Brush the edge lightly with olive oil.
- Bake for 15-18 minute on 400 degrees.
- Let cool 2-3 minutes before serving.
- 5 ounces baby spinach, stems removed
- 3/4 pound spicy or hot sausage, without casings
- 1 large onion, sliced into half-moons
- 6 ounces Fontina cheese, shredded
- 4 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 puff pastry sheet
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Preheat the oven to 400. Put a little olive oil in a large sauce pan and cook the onions gently over medium-low heat, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cook until soft and golden brown (about 20 minutes total).
- Cook the sausage until brown, salt and pepper, drain the fat, and put aside.
- Briefly wilt the spinach in the same pan. Combine sausage, onions, and spinach in a bowl.
- Roll the dough on a floured work surface into a 12-inch square. Transfer it to a baking pan lined with parchment paper, and lightly brush the dough with olive oil.
- Sprinkle 3 ounces of Fontina cheese and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan onto the dough. Place the filling ingredients over the entire dough, leaving about a one-inch margin all around. Sprinkle again with 3 more ounces of Fontina cheese and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Fold the edges of the dough over onto it self to make a raised edge all the way around the tart, pleating the edge with your fingers as you go.
- Brush the raised edge with olive oil.
- Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 15-18 minutes.
- Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.
I used spicy chicken sausage for this recipe but you can use any spicy sausage that you'd like!
I cant wait to try this, it combines several of my favorite ingredients 🙂