Serves a Crowd
Caramelized Onion & Butternut Squash Tart
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72 Reviews
Shelley
March 23, 2024
Back again! Ready to make this for Easter and looking for suggestions on how best to prepare a day ahead. Love this!
Thanks for ideas
Thanks for ideas
Jane
March 23, 2024
You could carmelize onions, roast squash and pre bake crust the day before. Day of, just make cheese mix, assemble and bake! Just not sure if it matters if onions and squash are reheated before assembling or not.
nlitra01
December 28, 2023
Highly recommend - use creme fraiche! I made this twice in a week, once with sour cream and yogurt and once with the creme fraiche. The creme fraiche was markedly better - cream and delicious. I added some kale and did not find the recipe sweet. When I used sour cream, it curdled to the flavor was good but the texture was way off. I made it the second time for xmas eve dinner and it was a big hit! I did forget to use butter so browned some separately with thyme and added it to the cheese mixture out the end - delicious.
NXL
January 8, 2023
I enjoyed the flavors in this recipe very much. I had extra yogurt and sour cream, so substituted those for the mascarpone. I, too, would have appreciated the precise measurement for the squash. Also, did you REALLY get those onions caramelized in 45 minutes with the lid on? I should have trusted my instinct on that: After30 minutes there was no color at all and the pan was full of moisture. Took an additional 45 minutes after I removed the lid. Really enjoyed the nutty flavor in the crust.
vosa13
November 15, 2022
Loved it!! Swapped crème fraiche for sour cream because I couldn’t find it and I was worried about curdling but it was completely fine! Also per some peoples reviews I added a cup of kale just to cut the richness which I really enjoyed. Ratios for everything were great and the cook time was accurate too! Thanks so much, will be making again!
Jane
October 21, 2022
This was very good. But it bugs me when the recipe is not written in the order that ingredients are used. First step is melt the butter, but the butter is fifth on the list. The salt that you add is way down, and doesn’t say it’s divided. Sure you can figure it out, but I think it should be revisited and rewritten.
Shelley
April 8, 2022
Fabulous! I did add an extra egg as the custard was not ‘pourable’. I’m sure it’s was pilot error..perhaps because the marscapone was super thick or because I finely grated the Gruyère.. I also did not have wheat flour and use all purpose. This worked fine.
I will definitely make again!
I will definitely make again!
Josephsm
December 17, 2021
Wow, this got quite a good reception from my guests. It's something different, yet not unfamiliar. I followed the recipe except I substituted rye flour for the wheat flour and that worked fine. I also added cayenne pepper to the custard to counterbalance the sweetness of the onions and squash and I think that worked well. Definite make-again dish.
Melanie
November 24, 2021
Made this for office pot luck and it was delicious! For creme fraiche, I used equal parts whole fat greek yogurt and heavy cream. Yummy and easy!
epicharis
October 22, 2021
Just superlative. Fixed this with a koginut squash and couldn't have been happier. Unbelievably rich---you need a nice sharp or floral wine to cut this.
rox L.
December 4, 2020
Delicious even with the error I made. I got ahead of myself and missed the blind baking of the crust. This recipe is a keeper and I will definitely be making this again. I served the tart as part of our Thanksgiving meal.
glammie
October 12, 2020
Made this today and it was phenomenal, despite a few mishaps on my part. I used store-bought 8" shell because I completely forgot the recipe called for a 10" crust. Also, I disagree with covering the pan when caramelizing the onions. Mine went a little mushy before they were fully browned and I think that was due to condensation.
I cooked the onions and squash the night before and refrigerated. Couldn't find creme fraiche at two stores so used full-fat sour cream. Assembled quickly the next day. Was sooooooo delicious. A keeper! Next time I might add a little green -- sautéed kale or spinach or leftover roasted broccoli.
I cooked the onions and squash the night before and refrigerated. Couldn't find creme fraiche at two stores so used full-fat sour cream. Assembled quickly the next day. Was sooooooo delicious. A keeper! Next time I might add a little green -- sautéed kale or spinach or leftover roasted broccoli.
Paula
November 4, 2022
I wondered about the lid -- I've never see that in instructions to caramelize onions. I also like the idea of adding some sort of greens, since so many have commented on how rich this is.
Debbie
November 3, 2019
I made this and it was amazing! Followed the recipe exactly EXCEPT I was too lazy to make the crust so I used a frozen deep dish pie shell. Oh. My. Goodness. My family devoured it and I plan on making this again for Thanksgiving. May even give the homemade crust a shot. Thanks for sharing the recipe for this incredibly delicious dish.
msfrost75
November 3, 2019
Amazing flavour, I’ll make this again for sure. I substituted The creme fraiche for thick Greek yogurt and it worked great. I love the caramelized onions on this tart, which I will add to other tarts I make!
Amy
October 29, 2019
I have never had my husband rave about something I've cooked EVER. And he (supposedly hates BN squash). I caramelized the onions ahead of time in the slow cooker so I'd have a lot of them to use for other things. Then I just heated them up in the pan with the thyme right before assembling the tart. I used refrigerated pie crust and an ungreased ceramic quiche baking dish. It turned out wonderful and didn't stick. Highly recommend.
Mary
November 29, 2017
Make this outstanding tart twice, following the directions exactly the first time. Heavenly! The second time, I added a big bunch of spinach, traded half and half for the creme fraiche, and used swiss cheese. Sooooo good!!
JPolly
September 18, 2017
I made this, but it overflowed a 10 inch tart pan. I think a 10 in pie pan, or an 11 inch tart pan would be better. I didn't like the hunks of squash in the creamy filling--and I cut very small hunks--plus IMHO the taste of the butternut squash got lost trying to compete with all those yummy onions and cheeses. My son suggested removing the squash and adding in bacon, which I am going to try next (i'm not a vegetarian, obviously!) and since the filling is sooooo rich, I think individual mini quiches might be the way to go--more pastry to deal with the almost overwhelming rich filling. Good recipe but not perfect--but odd with the hunks of squash, and too much filling for a 10 inch tart pan.
nutcakes
November 21, 2017
It's a good idea to stop pouring when it overflows the pan! 10 inch tart pan is deeper than 10 inch pie pan, unless your pie pan is deep dish, I think. Cook any extra filling in a small pan or mug. Usually for a quiche-like dish I would fill a pan 3/4. Sweet squash is a classic paring with Gruyere.
cosmiccook
October 19, 2019
I made this again for the 3rd time. I had leftover caramelized onions &apples from another recipe on this site. I used 1/2 creme fraiche & 1/2 Goat and used Trader Joes Sea Coast cheddar and added french herbs to the mix. I lacked 2 tbsp. of whole wheat so I made up the diff. w Pecan meal and added Quatre Epices to both dough and batter.
What wasn't specified was the depth of the tart pan--there are some pans referred to as tart/quiche pans that are 2" high. This works well w the 11" pan I have that is 1" high.
What wasn't specified was the depth of the tart pan--there are some pans referred to as tart/quiche pans that are 2" high. This works well w the 11" pan I have that is 1" high.
Paula
November 4, 2022
It's so rich, yet you want to add bacon??? Maybe you should just make a quiche Lorraine instead.
Siouxchef
February 2, 2017
Oh, and someone else commented that goat cheese would make a nice addition. The Dahlia Lounge recipe did have 1/4 cup goat cheese.
Siouxchef
February 2, 2017
Hi, Vanessa. Did you get this recipe from the Dahlia Lounge in Seattle? I've had this recipe for years and it was attributed to the Dahlia Lounge.
Vanessa L.
February 2, 2017
No, I did not! I am not even sure who Dahlia Lounge is. I originally made this for vegetarian family, based it on other tart recipes, and used butternut squash because it was in season.
Siouxchef
February 2, 2017
OK, Vanessa. Same ingredients, same order, same technique. Just a big coincidence. Really, there are no "unique" recipes any more. They're all built on someone else's framework.
Vanessa L.
February 2, 2017
The technique is one that is used in almost all savory tarts and the ingredient combination is hardly revolutionary. If this was inspired by someone else, I would have given them credit as I have with other recipes. However, it's pretty hard to pilfer the recipe of someone you have never heard of. I agree that there are not unique recipes - we all inspire each other. I'm lucky enough to be inspired by all I eat, cook and discover. Hope you have a great day and find you own inspiration.
David S.
November 27, 2016
I made one with left over puff pastry the bottom was a little thin but over a great filling mix
Cbrady
November 27, 2016
I have extra pie shells from thanksgiving. Can I bake a pie crust and then bake per tart instructions? It sounds great!
cosmiccook
November 16, 2016
how much approx. in cubed squash please? 2-3 cups?
jencordes
November 27, 2022
I googled it and read that a 2 pound butternut, peeled and seeded yields approximately 3 cups cubed. Hope that helps but I have not yet tried. I want to buy pre-cubed as well. If I do try it, I’ll post my results.
cosmiccook
November 15, 2016
To make less sweet added garlic, herbs Provence and quatre épices to give it a little umph & a small grind of birds eye pepper. final deglaze of onion w a balsamic. Voila!
Debbie
November 13, 2016
Just made this and it is incredible! 5 stars and 6 thumbs up from me, my husband and son. Will definitely make this for Thanksgiving!
Heidi V.
November 11, 2016
Can you make this ahead of time and freeze? Looking for some dishes I can prep before the big Tday.
Claire F.
October 7, 2016
Can you buy pastry dough? Would puff pastry work or do you have to make your own?
Lynn S.
November 11, 2016
In the first volume of the Vegetarian Epicure, the recipe for Onion Tarte Lyonnaise uses pate brisee - just press it into the pan with your fingers. Comes together in about 10 seconds in the food processor.
Martin B.
April 26, 2016
Great recipe. Lovely pastry.
It is VERY sweet. But that's no surprise when the two main ingredients are caramelised onion and roast squash. So maybe to be avoided if you don't have a sweet tooth.
It could double as a dessert. Especially if paired with something acidic like goat's cheese ice-cream or a strawberry-balsamic compote. Dessert and cheese courses all-in-one!
It is VERY sweet. But that's no surprise when the two main ingredients are caramelised onion and roast squash. So maybe to be avoided if you don't have a sweet tooth.
It could double as a dessert. Especially if paired with something acidic like goat's cheese ice-cream or a strawberry-balsamic compote. Dessert and cheese courses all-in-one!
IslandJulia
February 21, 2016
i made this for breakfast this morning (I did some of the prep yesterday, so it came together fast), and it took a lot of self control for us to not finish it in one sitting. Absolutely delicious. Hard pressed to think of a way to enhance it, but maybe a bit of tangy goat cheese. I also like the idea of adding balsamic. But really scrumptious as is.
Vanessa L.
February 21, 2016
Glad you liked it! I agree that the balsamic could be a great addition. I also think this would be delicious with roast cauliflower instead of butternut squash!
glammie
October 12, 2020
I roasted the squash and caramelized the onions the day before. Today (Thanksgiving) I used a store-bough frozen crust, mixed together the cheese sauce and baked. Perfection.
hannahru
February 18, 2016
Followed the recipe almost exactly (other than adding balsamic vinegar to the onions)... Came out AMAZING! So savory!! cheese combination was perfect and the crust was wholesome and crusty. Def will be making this again
mrslarkin
February 17, 2016
Congratulations, Vanessa!!
Vanessa L.
February 17, 2016
Thanks! You're grapefruit tart sounds delicious. Have you ever made it with blood oranges?
Vanessa L.
February 15, 2016
Actually vegetarian rennet and vegetarian cheeses are available. It depends on how strict of a vegetarian you are and you can definitely make this vegetarian. It's up to you!
hungryheart
February 15, 2016
This was delicious, thank you!
Tips/suggestions: really take Vanessa's word to coax the onions to go deep brown! So worth it. Scrape up any sticking bits with splashes of water as it gets darker and darker. I added a good glug of balsamic vinegar near the end for acidity-- I thought the rich and sweet custard would need it, and in the end I wished I added more. Subbed a couple tablespoons of cornmeal for some of the all-purpose for texture- I imagine any nubbly or hearty grain would do really well to add a pleasant bite. Next time, I'll bake the assembled tart after blind-baking at a higher temp-- 375, maybe even 400-- I think the rich sweet custard and vegetables would contrast well with a crisp burnished crust, and though 325 yielded a beautiful tender crust, it felt a little too tender for me.
Praises all around from my housemates! Thanks so much.
Tips/suggestions: really take Vanessa's word to coax the onions to go deep brown! So worth it. Scrape up any sticking bits with splashes of water as it gets darker and darker. I added a good glug of balsamic vinegar near the end for acidity-- I thought the rich and sweet custard would need it, and in the end I wished I added more. Subbed a couple tablespoons of cornmeal for some of the all-purpose for texture- I imagine any nubbly or hearty grain would do really well to add a pleasant bite. Next time, I'll bake the assembled tart after blind-baking at a higher temp-- 375, maybe even 400-- I think the rich sweet custard and vegetables would contrast well with a crisp burnished crust, and though 325 yielded a beautiful tender crust, it felt a little too tender for me.
Praises all around from my housemates! Thanks so much.
anotherfoodieblogger
February 13, 2016
Wow, congratulations! Savory is right up my alley and this looks luscious. :)
LeBec F.
January 30, 2016
really nicely done, vanessa- from the whole wheat to the thyme and the parm and creme fraiche-- excellent pairings and well thought out. The only major problem I see with it is that I'm not sure you could find a vegetarian that would be willing to share it with more than one other person :-}
702551
February 15, 2016
Not convinced that this recipe can be considered vegetarian. Many cheeses are made with rennet.
By definition, traditional Parmigiano Reggiano must be made with calf rennet. Gruyère is also made with rennet.
This is not a vegetarian dish.
By definition, traditional Parmigiano Reggiano must be made with calf rennet. Gruyère is also made with rennet.
This is not a vegetarian dish.
Vanessa L.
February 15, 2016
Actually vegetarian rennet and vegetarian cheeses are available. It depends on how strict of a vegetarian you are and you can definitely make this vegetarian. It's up to you!
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