Mini Cheddar Tarts Recipes

Steps:

• Beat margarine and cream cheese together, work in flour to form a ball.
• Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces.
• Press into mini tart tins.
• Divide cheese evenly among tarts.
• Beat egg until frothy, add milk, green onion and spices.
• Spoon into tarts and bake @ 350
• Variations: substitute the cheddar cheese for feta and the green onion for finely chopped black olives.
• Greek style tarts.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine sugar, lemon juice, eggs, flour, and lemon zest for filling together in a large mixing bowl, and whisk until well blended. Set aside.
• Combine flour, butter, sugar, and salt for crust in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times, until the dough begins to come together in a ball.
• Divide the dough into 6 equal portions, placing dough portions in each well of a nonstick 6-well mini tart pan. Press dough over the bottom of each well and up the sides.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the filling is set and the crust is lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack until mini tarts reach room temperature.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a 12x18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place tart shells on the prepared baking sheet and prick the sides and bottoms with a fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. The partial cook will help keep the pastry crispy on the bottom. Allow shells to cool slightly, in the pan, about 10 minutes.
• To make the mini-quiches: when shells are cooled but still warm, place 1 tablespoon Cheddar cheese in the bottom of 8 of the partially-baked tart shells. To 4 of the Cheddar-filled shells, add 1/2 piece of bacon, crumbled, and 1 tablespoon bell pepper. To the remaining 4 Cheddar-filled shells, add 1 tablespoon diced ham, 1 tablespoon broccoli, and 1/8 teaspoon thyme.
• Place 1 tablespoon Gruyere on the bottom of remaining partially-baked tart shells. To each of 4 of the Gruyere-filled shells, add 1 tablespoon cooked onion, 1 tablespoon of cooked, minced mushrooms, and 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder. To each of the remaining Gruyere-filled shells, add 1/4 of the diced prosciutto, 1 tablespoon cooked spinach, 1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend, and a pinch of nutmeg, if using, to taste.
• Briskly stir eggs together with cream, salt, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Pour 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of the egg mixture into each of the 16 filled shells.
• Top the bacon/bell pepper mini quiches with a cherry tomato half. Top the ham/broccoli mini quiches with 1 teaspoon diced red onion. Top the onion/mushroom mini quiches with 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley, and top the prosciutto/spinach mini quiches with 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh basil.
• Place mini quiches in the oven, and reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake until the egg mixture is set and the crust is lightly browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool on a rack, about 10 minutes. Serve warm.