Individual Egg & Cheese Tarts

My son loves breakfast. It is, by far, his favorite meal of the day. His usual requests are for pancakes, waffles, muffins, french toast or some other starchy item that he can drown in syrup or butter.

The past few days have been an exception. He has been craving eggs... well, cheese eggs to be exact. He just can't seem to get eat enough of them.

After a few mornings of scrambling eggs and sprinkling them with grated cheese, I decided to do something a little different. I added a few eggs to my fail-proof quiche recipe and poured it into individual muffin cups filled with puff pastry for a quick egg and cheese tart.

My son was thrilled and proclaimed that the tarts were "delicious bites of heaven." How can you argue with a statement like that? Served with a bowl of fresh fruit, these tarts are destined to become a staple around our house.

To modify this recipe, you could easily substitute ham or sausage for the bacon, add spinach or other sauteed vegetables, or use any variety of cheese that you like. The possibilities are endless. For a lighter version, simply use low fat or skim milk instead of the half-n-half.


Individual Egg & Cheese Tarts

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
2-3 strips bacon, fully cooked, drained and crumbled
1/4 c. onion, finely diced
1 Tbs. reserved bacon grease
1 Tbs.
1 c. half-n-half
6 eggs
1 c. grated cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry into a large rectangle approximately 9x12 inches in size. Cut the pastry into 12 equal squares. Arrange the squares like little cups in a greased muffin tin, pressing slightly hold their shape.

Meanwhile, cook the onion in the reserved bacon grease until tender and slightly golden. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine the half-n-half and eggs. Beat until the mixture is pale, light and well combined.

Add the reserved onion, crumbled bacon, cheese and nutmeg. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Fill each pastry cup with approximately 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the egg mixture or until full nearly to the top. Sprinkle with additional cheese.

Bake the tarts at 400 degrees F. for 12-15 minutes. The eggs should be set and the pastry should be golden.