I also love appetizers. Small food? I’m sold. Although I gotta say, doing this…
…and this…
…AND THIS…
…is kind of a pain. The price we pay for portion control, right?
Speaking of portion control, I think it’s actually kind of important for these guys. They don’t taste small at all; it’s a nice contrast with the flaky crust and burst of rich, creamy mushroomyness, and I think if it were just one big pie, nobody would be able to finish a slice. But as an appetizer they’re just awesome.
Mini Spinach & Mushroom Tarts (original recipe from Evil Shenanigans)
Rating: 5/5
Difficulty: Easy
Makes: 24 mini tarts
Ingredients
Crust
1.5 cups flour
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1 stick cold butter
1/4 cup ice water
Filling
2 tbsp butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1.5 cups mushrooms, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 tbsp flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1 ounce cream cheese
1/4 cup grated mozzarella
Directions
1. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt, sugar, and butter until the butter is in small chunks and coated in flour. Slowly drizzle in the water until a crumbly dough comes together; you might not need all the water. Press the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator.
2. In a medium skillet, cook the butter, onion, mushrooms, garlic, and spinach until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and milk and cook until the mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and add the spices and cheeses. Stir to combine.
3. Preheat your oven to 350F. Press the chilled dough into 24 mini tart crusts and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the crusts are set but haven’t yet picked up any color.
4. Fill the partially baked crusts with filling — they’ll be very full but try not to let any filling spill out of the crusts because it’ll stick. Carefully top with more Parmesan, and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the crusts are golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Let cool for a couple minutes before you try to scoop the tarts out of the pan.
Garnish with more cheese? Yes. You can never have enough cheese.
