Crisp mini phyllo tarts filled with soft cream cheese and caramelized onions pair excellently with sparkling wine to make easy and enticing party appetizers.
You will need:
For Caramelized Onions & Fried Mushroom,
Red onion - 1 large
Butter - 2 tbsp, divided
Red wine - 2 tbsp (see Notes)
Salt - a big pinch
Button mushroom - 3-4, thinly sliced
For Phyllo Bites,
Mini phyllo tart shells - 15, ready-to-use
Cream cheese - 4 oz, softened
Caramelized onions - ⅔ cup
Fresh rosemary - a few sprigs
How to:
Caramelized Onions & Fried Mushrooms (can be made ahead): Peel and trim onion, then slice thinly (but not too thinly).
Place a large skillet on medium heat and melt 1 tbsp butter. Add onions and stir to combine with butter.
Cook onions until they begin to soften, then add wine and salt and continue cooking, stirring them every 5-10 minutes. Scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan from time to time.
Keep a close eye when onions start to smell caramelized and remove from heat when uniformly browned and caramelized. The exact cooking time will depend on the type of onion, the pan size and cooking temperature, so just go by your sight, smell and taste!
Remove onions to a container. Once completely cooled, they can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days and gently heated up before use.
Once onions are done, add the remaining butter to the skillet and fry mushroom slices till nicely charred. Remove and place on paper towels to drain excess oil.
Phyllo Bites: Pre-heat the oven to 350 deg.F. Place the tart shells in a baking tray or cookie sheet. Divide the cream cheese among the tart cups. Bake for 7-8 minutes.
Top each tart shell with 2 tsp of caramelized onions, a slice of fried mushroom and a couple of leaves of rosemary. Serve immediately with wine.
Notes:
1. Any table wine can be used while caramelizing the onions. Plain water or stock can be substituted here. 2. Caramelize a couple of large onions and refrigerate the excess. They can be used throughout the week in soups, stir fries, curries, sandwiches, protein bowls and more.
Recipe by At The Corner of Happy And Harried at https://www.happyandharried.com/2017/11/27/caramelized-onion-cream-cheese-phyllo-bites/