These crowd-pleasing tarts are versatile and delicious. Garnish them with fresh basil leaves as a fancy starter or include them in your holiday menu as an easy-to-serve vegetable side dish. They're great with a bowl of chili, too.

Preparation Time:

Cooking Time:

Servings: 12

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp (25 mL) vegetable shortening
  • 3 peeled medium Ontario Potatoes, coarsely grated (about 2 cups/500 mL)
  • 1 medium Ontario Onion, minced
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 tbsp (25 mL) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

Filling:

  • 2 tbsp (25 mL) butter
  • 2 cloves Ontario Garlic, minced
  • 1 Ontario Onion, diced
  • 2 Ontario Carrots, peeled and grated
  • 2-1/2 cups (625 mL) finely chopped mixed Ontario Mushrooms (button, cremini, shiitake, oyster or portabella)
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) each of dried basil and salt
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) each of bread crumbs, grated Cheddar and crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3 or 4 Ontario Mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Grease nonstick muffin tin with shortening. Cut away sides of 12 large paper muffin liners; place circular paper bottom into each greased cup.

In bowl, combine potatoes and onion, egg, flour and salt; divide among muffin cups, pressing evenly up sides and over bottoms. Coat lightly with cooking oil spray. Bake in 400°F (200°C) oven for about 20 minutes until crisp-browned at edges.

Filling:

Meanwhile, in large heated skillet, melt butter; sauté garlic, onion, carrots, mushrooms, basil and salt until softened, about 10 minutes. Mix in bread crumbs, Cheddar and feta cheese and eggs. Divide among potato-lined cups; top each with a few thin slices of mushrooms and sprinkle of sesame seeds. Return to oven; reduce heat to 350°F (180°C) and cook for 25 minutes. Carefully remove paper bottom before serving.

Tip: To prevent cooked portabella mushrooms from becoming black, scrape out and discard the dark gills from their underside before chopping and cooking.

Nutrients per serving

  • Protein: 5.0 grams
  • Fat: 6.0 grams
  • Carbohydrates: 16.0 grams
  • Calories: 143