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Mondays are such Mondays.

Yesterday just felt like a Monday all day long.  The kids at school at already gearing up for their Halloween squirrelly-ness.  They are silly and chatty and not in any mood to learn anything at all.  Of course, after a day of struggling to teach six classes like that, we had a faculty meeting.  Two of my co-workers presented very interesting material that I’m sure I will use in the future.  But I was tired.  And one thought kept circulating through my brain.

What am I going to make for dinner?

I usually try to put something in the crock pot on Mondays since I know it will be after five before I get home.  But I didn’t do that yesterday.  And I knew that most of the menu items for which I purchased groceries were long, drawn-out dishes.

When Elizabeth and I finally got home, I peered into the refrigerator for inspiration.  And I got it!

There on the shelves were sliced cremini mushrooms and a box of puff pastry dough that I had thawed over the weekend.  I had intended to make some sort of quick dessert with the dough, but the weekend was over before I did that.

Throwing this meal together took no time.  Seriously.  So quick!

The result was wonderful!  Both kids loved it.  Michael is low-carbing again.  Anyway, this is meaty and savory and delicious.  Of course, there’s no meat, but the mushrooms give it that meaty unctiousness that make you forget all about the meat.  The puff pastry is so easy to use and it turns out beautifully every single time.  And it doesn’t hurt that Gouda is my third favorite cheese.

Mushroom Onion and Gouda Tart

  • 1 pound of sliced cremini mushrooms
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 tablespoons of butter
  • 1 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
  • 10 ounces of smoked Gouda, sliced thin
  • 1 box (2 sheets) of puff pastry dough

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet, drizzle olive oil and melt butter.  Add mushrooms and onions and sautee for 15 minutes, stirring often, until onions are soft and mushrooms are dark in color.  Add salt.  Sprinkle on cornstarch and stir until mushrooms stick together just a little.

While mixture is cooking, unfold puff pastry sheets onto greased or sprayed baking pans.  Lay slices of Gouda onto the pastry sheets, leaving a 1-2 inch edge on all sides.  Gouda slices do not have to touch each other.

When mushroom mixture is done, divide in half (roughly) and pour each half over one of the pastry sheets, spreading evenly.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until pastry is as brown as you’d like it.

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Well Duh #1:  Make sure the puff pastry sheets are completely thawed.  Mine thawed in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Well Duh #2:  If you’re nervous about the pastry sticking, you can line your pans with parchment paper.  I really didn’t find this necessary.

Well #3:  I sliced each “tart” into six slices.

This is definitely a recipe that I will keep on hand.  It’s so quick that it would even be great if you found out you were having unexpected dinner guests.  Just add a nice green salad and you’re all set.  And puff pastry is like magic!

This was a great Meatless Monday dish!

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