Are you looking for a party nibble to please vegetarians? These Savoury Puff Pastry Bites with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms hit all the right notes with sweet caramelized onions, marinated portobello mushrooms, Applewood smoked cheddar cheese, and a hint of fresh thyme. Although there are several steps required to assemble these tasty morsels, the results are certainly well worth the effort!
It takes some time to caramelize the onions, so this recipe is designed to give you plenty of left overs for your hard work! What you don’t use in this recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a week, or they can be frozen for later use. Caramelized onions are great to have on hand, because they are absolutely delicious on sandwiches, in soups, or on top of your favorite pizza.
Savoury Puff Pastry Bites with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms
Makes 64 appetisers
Ingredients
Marinated Mushrooms:
8 oz. / 225g sliced baby Portobello mushrooms, cleaned and patted dry
¼ c. / 60ml Marsala wine
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
Caramelized Onions:
4 large yellow onions
¼ c. / 40g unsalted butter
3 tbsp dry white wine
salt and pepper, to taste
1 package frozen puff pastry, around 320g
2 eggs, beaten
flour, for rolling out
8 oz. / 225g Applewood smoked cheddar, grated
3 tbsp fresh thyme, leaves only
Cook's tip: Put the cheese in the freezer for 10 minutes before grating for best results.
Method
1. Thaw puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator.
2. In a bowl, pour the Marsala wine over the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
3. Marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature then drain the excess moisture before cooking.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan / skillet over a medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated mushrooms and sauté until browned and tender, approximately 5 - 7 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
6. To caramelize the onions, slice off both ends and remove the papery outer layers. Cut each onion in half lengthwise from tip to root.
7. Then cut each half across the middle to form four sections. Cut each section lengthwise into strips. Don’t cut the onions too thin, or they may burn while cooking.
8. Over a medium heat, melt the butter in a large skillet / frying pan with high sides. (For best results, do not use a non-stick pan). Add onions and stir with a wooden spoon until coated with butter.
9. Cook onions over medium heat for approximately 45 – 50 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to ensure they cook evenly and don’t stick to the pan. The exact cooking time will vary based on several factors, including the age of the onions and how many you cook at one time.
10. Once the onions reach the desired depth of color, add the white wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Add more liquid if necessary to scrape up all the brown bits.
11. Add salt and pepper to the onions, to taste. Remove from heat and let cool in the pan until ready to use. Once cool, transfer any unused onions to an airtight container for future use.
12. Preheat oven to 375F / 190C. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
13. Cut thawed puff pastry dough in half and roll out on a lightly floured surface. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the puff pastry sheet into 32 equally sized rectangles. Transfer puff pastry pieces to a prepared baking sheet and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
14. Repeat the above steps for the other half of the puff pastry.
15. Remove baking sheets from freezer and let sit for a couple of minutes before brushing each piece with the beaten egg.
16. Carefully arrange equal amounts of grated cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms on each piece of puff pastry. Sprinkle each with fresh thyme leaves.
17. Place baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes before rotating each baking sheet to ensure the pastry bites cook evenly. Continue cooking until the pastry is golden brown, approximately 8-10 minutes.
Pin it:
It takes some time to caramelize the onions, so this recipe is designed to give you plenty of left overs for your hard work! What you don’t use in this recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a week, or they can be frozen for later use. Caramelized onions are great to have on hand, because they are absolutely delicious on sandwiches, in soups, or on top of your favorite pizza.
Savoury Puff Pastry Bites with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms
Makes 64 appetisers
Ingredients
Marinated Mushrooms:
8 oz. / 225g sliced baby Portobello mushrooms, cleaned and patted dry
¼ c. / 60ml Marsala wine
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
Caramelized Onions:
4 large yellow onions
¼ c. / 40g unsalted butter
3 tbsp dry white wine
salt and pepper, to taste
1 package frozen puff pastry, around 320g
2 eggs, beaten
flour, for rolling out
8 oz. / 225g Applewood smoked cheddar, grated
3 tbsp fresh thyme, leaves only
Cook's tip: Put the cheese in the freezer for 10 minutes before grating for best results.
Method
1. Thaw puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator.
2. In a bowl, pour the Marsala wine over the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
3. Marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature then drain the excess moisture before cooking.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan / skillet over a medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated mushrooms and sauté until browned and tender, approximately 5 - 7 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
6. To caramelize the onions, slice off both ends and remove the papery outer layers. Cut each onion in half lengthwise from tip to root.
7. Then cut each half across the middle to form four sections. Cut each section lengthwise into strips. Don’t cut the onions too thin, or they may burn while cooking.
8. Over a medium heat, melt the butter in a large skillet / frying pan with high sides. (For best results, do not use a non-stick pan). Add onions and stir with a wooden spoon until coated with butter.
9. Cook onions over medium heat for approximately 45 – 50 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to ensure they cook evenly and don’t stick to the pan. The exact cooking time will vary based on several factors, including the age of the onions and how many you cook at one time.
10. Once the onions reach the desired depth of color, add the white wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Add more liquid if necessary to scrape up all the brown bits.
11. Add salt and pepper to the onions, to taste. Remove from heat and let cool in the pan until ready to use. Once cool, transfer any unused onions to an airtight container for future use.
12. Preheat oven to 375F / 190C. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
13. Cut thawed puff pastry dough in half and roll out on a lightly floured surface. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the puff pastry sheet into 32 equally sized rectangles. Transfer puff pastry pieces to a prepared baking sheet and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
14. Repeat the above steps for the other half of the puff pastry.
15. Remove baking sheets from freezer and let sit for a couple of minutes before brushing each piece with the beaten egg.
16. Carefully arrange equal amounts of grated cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms on each piece of puff pastry. Sprinkle each with fresh thyme leaves.
17. Place baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes before rotating each baking sheet to ensure the pastry bites cook evenly. Continue cooking until the pastry is golden brown, approximately 8-10 minutes.
More party food recipes:
We may earn a small commission for products purchased through links in this article.