Toasted Mushroom Tarts

Hi Guys, have ya missed me? I apologize for the recurring absences, there are a few fun projects that I’ve been working on this past week which have kept me hopping. I can’t wait to share them but some still need to be wrapped up. In the meantime how about something yummy and bite sized to kick off our holiday preparations? It’s nearly that time you know, are you ready? Raise your hand if you have your Thanksgiving menu planned and have bought more than two Christmas presents so far. You can’t see it but my hand ran in the other direction squealing with fright, so no I won’t be raising my hand to that. I will be working on our Thanksgiving menu during the next couple of weeks and will share all of the recipes with you guys. With dad’s kitchen still in a shambles though it’s up in the air as to where we will be having our family Thanksgiving. Oh I forgot to tell y’all!? That would be part of the craziness.

Typically we switch off each Thanksgiving. One year we eat at dad and Sherry’s house, the next year we go to my sister Jamie’s house. This is dad’s year to cook but they don’t have a kitchen at the moment. Yep, no kitchen. One evening their refrigerator leaked all night and ruined the floors. Good news is that all the damage was covered but the bad news is the original contractor built the cabinets over the hardwood, so everything had to come out. New kitchen joy…living in a shambles for months blues.

Hopefully dad will be up and running for Thanksgiving so that I can make these. I am deemed the mushroom lady during the holidays because of my Feta Stuffed Mushrooms but I wanted to try something new this year to go along with my bad boys. I came across this recipe yesterday for Mushroom Tarts in a cookbook with some of my great grandmother’s recipes. My cousin Adele compiled the book a few years ago and my mom passed it on to me. We all called my great grandmother Mama Joe but her name was Effie Joe. At 4′ 11 she was utterly feisty and full of mirth. If DS and I had ever been blessed with a little girl the name Effie Joe was at the very top of my list. So what if her first name and last name would have rhymed, that’s what Joe is for right?

I have to say that I adore Adele’s cookbook more than any other on my shelf because of the love that it exudes. Family cookbooks have a way of taking you back to where you started, reinforcing your roots and moving you forward at the same time. “In Mama Joe’s Shadow”  lets me know that I am just one of many food adventurers in my family. I have told Adele before that I want to be her when I grow up. She has been a brilliant personal chef for years and has been sharing my great grandparents love story, as well as Mama Joe’s recipes online for a while now. You guys will have to check her out, give her a big hug and say “What’s up?” from me.

Mama Joe’s mushroom tarts are simple, quick and scrumptious guys so don’t be scared to give them a try. I did tweak her recipe just a smidgen but that’s me y’all, I can’t help but play with my food.

Mama Joe’s recipe called for white bread slices cut into 3 inch circles, which I substituted with whole wheat bread. Press the bread circles gently into a mini muffin pan and bake for a short time to make them into lightly golden toast cups.

Saute some green onions and mushrooms in butter until soft. You can use white button mushrooms but I went with a mix of portobello, crimini and oyster mushrooms.

Stir in flour, cream, herbs and spices until the sauce has thickened and is just begging you to sneak a nibble or two, only you can’t so be patient. Who am I kidding, go ahead and have a nibble, I did.

Spoon the mushroom mixture into the pre-baked toast cups, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and bake for another 10 minutes.

What you’ll end up with is the perfect bite sized appetizer filled with rich creamy mushrooms, a hint of spice and lovely Parmesan all wrapped up in a healthy crunch of whole wheat toast. Can y’all guess what I had for dinner last night? I love sharing recipes with y’all. They make my tummy so happy but my glutes are suffering sorely guys.

What are some of your favorite appetizers for the holidays?

Chat with you soon!

Xoxo,

Shari-Tickled Red

Tagged as: Appetizers, Holidays, Mushrooms, Tarts