It’s been a week since school’s been out and we are finally settling into a slower pace around my house. During those last few weeks of school and all of the hectic-ness, we weren’t planning our menus very well (okay, honestly we weren’t planning any menu… at all!). We fell into a sort of food rut and we were depending heavily on our gas grill. We consumed all kinds of foods that are considered quick : pre-made burgers, store-bought, marinated chicken breasts or fajitas, sandwiches, spaghetti… anyhoo, you get the idea.
Nothing wrong with any of that, I know, but with no time to make dishes with a bit more detail and flavor, dinnertime can get a bit boring and repetitive. I know it’s true for me, anyway, I get bored of certain foods. My hubs is content to eat a plateful of grilled meat, all day, everyday (seriously, no side dishes required for that complete carnivore!), but I’m just not happy with that. I like my veggies.
So, with yesterday being the first true day off for me,(no errands to run and no more cookie orders going out for a few weeks!) I cooked and I baked…. a lot. I was so happy to have time to stock us up on a variety of our favorite comfort foods and healthy dishes that are more flavorful than a big, ol’ hunk of meat!
I was literally in the kitchen all day and I was pretty darn ecstatic about it too. I made a pot of my kid’s favorite chicken noodle soup, chickpea salad, broccoli salad, a peanut butter sheet cake, a batch of waffles for the freezer and two of these tasty leek, mushroom and bacon tarts!
We are good for a couple of days, y’all!
Today is Father’s Day and because our refrigerator is stocked there is (thankfully) no need to fire up that grill! We are going to get out and have some fun as family instead, bellies and hearts full …and no big hunks of meat in sight!
I hope all the dads out there are able to spend today with friends and family!
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Leek, Mushroom & Bacon Tart
Course: breakfast and eggs, tarts and pastriesDifficulty: Easy1
9-inch tart20
minutes35
minutesThis flavorful leek, mushroom and bacon tart is a perfect dish for company, but easy enough for every day of the week! It’s versatile and a great recipe choice for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
1 pie pastry (9-inch), homemade or store-bought
4 slices bacon, crispy cooked, and crumbled. Drippings reserved.
1 large leek (white part only) well-rinsed, quartered and thinly sliced
4 oz. button mushrooms, rinsed and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
4 oz Neuchaftel cheese, room temperature
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
4 oz very sharp New York cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°. Place pie pastry into a 10-inch tart pan. Turn edges of the dough under and press to crimp edges. Prick the pastry with a fork and bake for 10 minutes or until edges are set and very lightly browned. Remove tart pan from oven and allow pastry to cool on a rack completely.
- Using 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon drippings, saute the sliced leek and mushrooms until tender. Season with salt and white pepper. Remove vegetables from heat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix softened cream cheese and eggs until well-combined. Stir in whipping cream, shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits. Fold the cooked vegetables into the egg mixture and pour filling into prepared pastry.
- Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until filling appears set and top of tart is lightly browned. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes or longer before serving.
- This tart is delicious served warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Thank you!!
Thank you, Grace!
Hi Karen, thank you!!
Hi Susan, thank you!!
Thank you, John!!
What a delicious combination for a the tart! And congratulations on a big cook up! It always makes me feel that every thing is right when I have plenty of food for the family.
your tart is picture-perfect! i've never used neufchatel in something like this but it must add such a delightful creaminess!
A slice of your tart and a green salad would put a smile on my face…it looks great.
Such a classic dish! And a wonderful combo of flavors. This looks wonderful — my kind of food. Thanks!
What a delightful way to put the grill on hold! A slice of this and a little side salad and I'd be so happy 🙂
Thank you, Angie!
Thank you, Chef Mimi!
Thank you, David!! I hope you enjoy the cake, we love it 🙂
I would definitely want a 2nd helping! The tart looks amazingly delicious and flavourful.
Just beautiful! Love the addition of the cream cheese.
Happy Father’s Day to Evan! And congratulations to you for having time in the kitchen for you! This tart looks amazing but it is the peanut butter sheet cake that has me all excited! I remember the original post but not that it had threeeeeee sticks of butter! Yikes! No wonder it sounds good! 🙂 Enjoy your family tonight! xo