This mushroom tart with feta and thyme is so simple to make at home and keeps for up to 3 days.
It is the perfect lunch item, or pack it ip and take it on a summer picnic. Plus being free-form you don't need a pie tin and there is no chance of it sticking.
How to make a tart without a tart pan
You won't need a tart pan for this rustic mushroom tart. You can make this with just a sheet pan.
- First roll the pastry out slightly so you have a square.
- Make a thick filling that includes an egg, to ensure it doesn't run off your pastry.
- Pile the pastry with the tart filling, leaving a 1.5 inch (4cm) gap around the edge.
- Pile the cooked mushrooms on top.
- Crumble over the feta and fresh thyme leaves.
- Then fold over the pastry edges.
- Bake the tarts in a hot oven so the egg in the filling sets quickly and the pastry crisps up.
What to serve with this rustic mushroom tart.
This tart is wonderful warm or at room temperature. I love it as a brunch with the girls....especially if there is a side order of Charred Grapefruit and Basil Gin and Tonic.
To turn it into a lunch I added a mixed leaf green salad dressed with a simple dressing:
To make it more of a dinner you could add some potatoes, I'd suggest my hedgehog potatoes because EVERYONE loves them :D.
Enjoy x
Rustic Mushroom Tart with Feta and Thyme
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups sliced mushrooms
- salt and pepper
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- ⅔ cup cream cheese (room temperature) - see note 1
- 1 salad onion roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 eggs
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta
- 2 tablespoon milk or an extra egg
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400ºF/200ºC.
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a large fry pan, add in the mushrooms, a pinch of salt and pepper and the leaves from 4 of the thyme sprigs.
- Cook over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the mushrooms are golden and have released all of their water.
- Set the mushrooms aside to cool.
- Process the cream cheese, salad onion, minced garlic and eggs together until you have a smooth mixture.
- Roll the pastry sheet out until you have a square (10"/25cm)
- Line a sheet pan with greaseproof paper and place the pastry sheet onto the lined tray.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture over the pastry leaving a 1.5"/4cm border around the edge.
- Top with the cooked mushrooms and then carefully fold up the pastry so to it slightly covering the edge of the filling.
- Crimp any extra bits together.
- Add the crumbled feta an the remaining thyme leaves.
- Brush the pastry with milk (or egg wash) and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry has puffed up and is golden brown.
Notes
- Don't use spreadable cream cheese as it will make the filling too running. You want a block of full fat cream cheese.
Nutrition
Rustic Mushroom Tart with Feta and Thyme Anecdote
(aka my recipe ramble for those who love the waffle)
My love of rustic, or free-form tarts as they were called when I was working in the kitchens, started way back somewhere in the late 1990's (EEEK!!! I am old!)
The hotel used to have a free-form crab and wild celery tart on the lunch menu. It was, well word can't describe it!!! It was just sublime.
The filling was so perfect, but the beauty of the tart was the rustic looking case. So puffy and delicious, but so simple to make!!!
Plus it makes it so much easier!! One less thing to wash-up (always important) and no chance of the tart sticking to the base.
Deanna says
The egg and cream cheese, garlic, onion mixture was very runny, I tried to make a wall with the puff pastry to old it in, but once in the over the liquid ran over and so there was no lovely crust. The interior was delicious, but marred by its looks.
Claire McEwen says
Did you use low fat cream cheese? Or a spreadable cream cheese? I have had that happen when I used some spreadable cream cheese, it was just too runny.
Hopefully that was the issue, but if not let me now and we can try a bit more trouble shooting 🙂
Cx
Wilhelmina Wessel says
This gorgeous tart looks so flavorful!
Claire McEwen says
Thank you 😀
Jenni says
Oooooh, now we are talking! I would love to come over for a girls day with this on the menu! My husband hates mushrooms so I would definitely need others to help me eat ita ll!
Claire McEwen says
We would have the best girls lunch.....although I think it would run into dinner and cocktails 😉