Rustic Mushroom Bacon Blue Cheese Tart with Garlic-Thyme Pastry “Leaves”

We are on the brink of autumn already! This bold and beautiful tart is a showstopper; serve with a green salad for a brunch or light dinner — or as an appetizer for your fall-season party! This recipe was created by food blogger Jennifer Fisher of TheFitFork as part of our Blogger Recipe Challenge. Thanks so much the recipe, TheFitFork

This recipe uses Wick’s 9″ Dough Circles.

Ingredients

Yields: 1 tart (about 4 servings) | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes

2 Wick’s 9″ Raw Pie Crusts, thawed (1 for tart, 1 for leaf garnish, optional)
4- ounce bacon
10 ounces mushrooms of choice I used Cremini and White Button
1 cup sliced leeks whites and light greens
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 ounces cream cheese softened
2 ounces blue cheese crumbled
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves plus extra for garnish and crust “leaves”
1 whisked egg for wash
½ teaspoon garlic salt

Instructions

Heat 12-inch stainless steel skillet over medium-high and cook bacon for several minutes each side, until browning and crispy. Remove to paper towel-lined plate to drain, reserving about 1 tablespoon bacon fat in pan (discarding the rest).
Add sliced leeks to pan, and sauté for 2 minutes and then add mushrooms and continue to cook for a 4 to 5 more minutes until softened and liquid released. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and slightly tilt pan to pool up any remaining mushroom liquid and carefully pour off or sop up with paper towel. This will help prevent tart from getting soggy.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Allow mushroom mixture to cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, make cheese filling by coarsely mashing together 2 ounces of crumbled blue cheese with 4 ounces cream cheese.
Place thawed Wick’s Pie crust on a baking sheet (I prefer a vented pizza pan), coated with non-stick spray.
Using spatula, spread on cheese mixture eaving a 1” border. Next pile on mushroom mixture over cheese and lightly pat down.
Fold up edges of pie crust “rustically,” pinching excesses in the folds together as needed. Brush exposed edges of pie crust with egg wash.
Top with crumbled bacon.
Bake at 400F for 25 minutes or until crust golden and cheese bubbling.
Once you stick tart in oven, start preparing the optional garlic-thyme “leaves” which will bake in the same oven as the tart for the last 5 to 6 minutes of baking.
Spread thawed Wick’s crust on a baking sheet and sprinkle with garlic salt. Use leaf shaped cookie cutter (or other cutter design of choice) to make impressions that cut through – slightly wiggle the cut crust from them, but leave on the pan to cook as “extra” snacking material for later! Press on some of the fresh thyme into to dough decoratively. Bake at 400F for 5 to 6 minutes or until golden. Remove to cool on pan for 5 minutes before handling.
Serve garlic-thyme leaves alongside the tart, if desired (making the leaves is an optional step).