Table For One - The Small Savory Tart

by Sarah LeTrent, Posted Sep 17th 2009 @ 3:00PM

Turkey, Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onion Tart. Photo: Sarah LeTrent.

Few of us want to make a complicated lasagna for solo dining -- by day six, you'll never want to see lasagna again! In this series, AOL Food staffer Sarah LeTrent taste-tests simple recipes suitable for a "table for one."

Despite appearances, tarts are quite rudimentary to assemble. Plus they are a simple and elegant way to use up your leftovers. When I found my refrigerator stocked with a lone baked turkey breast, blue cheese and an onion, the endless versatility of tarts struck a cord of culinary inspiration.

Seems like caramelized onions and pungent cheese -- be it blue, Roquefort or gorgonzola -- have an affinity for one another in many recipes. This savory tart is no exception: The sweetness of the onions is absolutely ambrosial with tangy fromage bleu. And while turkey tends to be overlooked in months that don't end in "ember," it is used here as a protein-packed topping.

Recipe after the jump.

Turkey, Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onion Tart

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup cooked turkey, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the sliced onion in olive oil with sugar, salt and pepper, on medium heat until caramelized and dark golden brown in color, about 30 minutes.

With your thawed sheet of puff pastry, use a knife to cut out an individually-sized tart, sized in accordance with your appetite. Lay the pastry square on a baking sheet and dock the dough (use a fork to prick holes around the center of the pastry, leaving a 1/4 inch unpricked around the edge). This will ensure the center does not rise and that the toppings remain in place. Spread on the caramelized onions, sprinkle on the blue cheese and top with the shredded turkey. Bake in the oven until the puff pastry is golden-brown, about 15 minutes.

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Tags: baking, blue cheese, BlueCheese, caramelized onions, CaramelizedOnions, dinner, homemade tart, HomemadeTart, poultry, sarah letrent, SarahLetrent, savory tart, SavoryTart, table for one, TableForOne, tart, turkey