Do you remember our easy Apple Tart? Well, think the same idea, but savoury. Introducing my mushroom tart recipe – call it “Tarte Fine aux Champignons” in French if you feel fancy! Flaky puff pastry topped with melted Gruyère, sautéed mushrooms and baked until crispy and golden. Let’s go!
Nagi's Notes
I feel like French food has a reputation for being time consuming and complicated. But for homestyle dishes, it usually isn’t. More often than not, it’s about a couple of hero ingredients making a dish shine – and this Mushroom Tart is exactly that. Just 4 ingredients – puff pastry, mushroom, cheese and butter, Simple and ridiculously good!
A Simple French Mushroom Tart
This is something I used to whip up back home when we needed a quick lunch or dinner that made everyone happy. Crispy and flaky butter puff pastry layered with melting cheese and sautéed mushrooms, all baked to perfection – Tarte Fine aux Champignons as we call it. What could go wrong!?
To enjoy it at its best, finish it with a sprinkle of salt flakes and fresh thyme leaves. A drizzle of truffle oil will bring it to another level if you have some. You’ll be surprised by the work-to-reward ratio here. A true winner!
Ingredients
Here is what you need to make this Tarte Fine aux Champignons. Please do your best to get a puff pastry made with butter rather than oil. Butter beats oil everyday when it comes to flavour. Take it from a Frenchman!
Frozen puff pastry – As I say above, butter is better! Butter puff rises more beautifully and gives you more delicate flaky layers and importantly, it has better flavour. Look for a packet that clearly says, “butter puff pastry.” If it doesn’t mention butter, it usually means it’s made with oil instead, which is still ok to use but won’t have the same flavour.
Size – This recipe calls for a 25cm / 10″ square of puff pastry which is the standard size here in Australia. If your sheet is larger, simply trim it to size. If you only have smaller pieces, press the offcuts together to form one larger sheet.
Swiss brown mushrooms – Also called cremini mushrooms in some countries. They have more flavour than white cup / button mushrooms, though they will work fine too. You could also use larger mushrooms like portobello, just slice them up into smaller pieces.
Gruyère cheese – My logical pick for this recipe because I used it so much in France. Gruyère is a staple cheese in France like cheddar and tasty cheese here in Australia. It’s a firm Swiss-style cheese with a nutty flavour that melts beautifully and has a rich flavour that doesn’t overpower the mushrooms.
Other cheese options – Comté would elevate it even more if it’s reasonably priced where you are but it is expensive here in Australia which is why I don’t use it. Swiss cheese / Emmental would be my next choice. Otherwise, use any good melting cheese you enjoy such as mild Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby or Tasty.
Unsalted butter – Adds flavour to the mushrooms and is also brushed on the pastry edges to help them turn golden.
Cooking salt / kosher salt – Used to season the mushrooms. If you’ve only got table salt, halve the amount. For salt flakes, increase by 50%. (We also use some salt flakes at the end as a lovely touch to finish the dish.)
Black pepper – Cracked black pepper, the one we usually use.
Thyme leaves – Thyme and mushrooms are a classic pairing. I like it best sprinkled at the end rather than cooked in the mushrooms because you get a better flavour for this dish.
Truffle oil or extra virgin olive oil – If you happen to have truffle oil, this a great opportunity to use it because it goes so well with mushrooms and adds a really gourmet touch to it. A small drizzle is enough to deliver a big impact and elevate the dish. I know it’s a bit pricey so I wouldn’t go and get it especially. You can always use a good extra virgin olive oil instead.
How To Make Mushroom and Gruyère Tart
This tart comes together in three simple steps: cook the mushrooms, assemble the tart, then bake until the pastry is crisp and golden. There is an actual fourth step “Eat it!” but I didn’t bother writing it down because the moment you see it come out of the oven, you’ll understand.
Preheat the oven and tray – Place a baking tray in the oven and preheat to 210°C / 410°F (190°C fan). Starting the tart on a hot tray helps the pastry cook immediately and become crisp underneath.
Cook the mushrooms – Heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the mushrooms soften.
Transfer to a colander over a bowl to drain. When testing this recipe, my mushrooms didn’t release much liquid. Draining them is mostly a safety step, just in case they do because this would soften the puff pastry.
Edges – Place a sheet of baking / parchment paper on the bench and lay the puff pastry on top. Fold the edges inward to create a 1 cm / 0.4″ border around the pastry. No need to use egg or anything to hold in place.
Brush the pastry edges with melted butter.
Cheese – Spread the grated Gruyère evenly over the pastry. Mostly avoiding the rim.
Mushrooms – Top with the cooked mushrooms, spreading them evenly too.
Bake – Lift the baking paper and tart onto the hot tray. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden, puffed and crisp, including underneath.
Finish – Sprinkle the tart with fresh thyme leaves and salt flakes. Drizzle with truffle oil or extra virgin olive oil.
Serve – Cut into 4 or 6 pieces or more if you want smaller. Enjoy while hot!
How To Serve Mushroom and Gruyère Tart
Serve the tart warm, straight from the oven. For a lovely French meal, add a French Bistro Salad or my Baby Gem Salad that we shared last week. It also pairs well with other fresh salads like our Favourite Tomato Salad, the Garden Salad, a Mega Italian Salad or more classic like a Rocket with Balsamic Dressing.
It would also work great cut it into small squares and passed around as an appetiser or canapés.
That’s it for this one! If you make it, please let me know how it goes. I always enjoy reading your feedback or seeing your versions. Bon appétit! – JB
FAQ – Mushroom and Gruyère Tart
Yes. Assemble the tart and keep it in the fridge on a tray. Make sure the mushrooms are fully cooled before assembling and keep the pastry cold so it puffs properly. Bake straight from the fridge on a preheated hot tray. I haven’t tried to assemble, freeze and cook. But please let me know if you do!
See ingredients list above. ☝️😊
Yes, if they have a similar shape and structure to Swiss brown mushrooms. White cup / button mushrooms or portobello work well because they slice neatly and sit flat on the pastry.
Avoid other mushrooms with irregular shapes. They don’t layer evenly, so you won’t get a consistent topping, and they don’t give the same texture once baked on a flat tart like this.
Yes. Reheat at 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan-forced) for about 10 minutes until the pastry crips again.
Watch How to Make It
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JB’s Mushroom Tart
Ingredients
- 1 square sheet butter puff pastry (25cm / 10″ square), barely thawed (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter
- 400g / 14oz Swiss brown mushrooms , sliced 0.5cm (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt , use half for table salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups (tightly packed) Gruyère cheese , grated (Note 2)
- 2 tsp (10g) unsalted butter , melted (for brushing)
Toppings
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 pinch sea salt flakes
- truffle oil or good extra virgin olive oil , to drizzle (optional) (Note 4)
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE
- Sauté mushrooms 5 minutes. Place puff pastry on baking paper, fold a 1 cm / 0.4" border, brush edges with butter, top with Gruyère and mushrooms. Bake on the preheated tray for 30 minutes. Finish with fresh thyme, salt flakes and truffle oil.
FULL RECIPE
- Hot tray – Place a baking tray in the oven. Turn the oven on and preheat to 210°C / 410°F (190°C fan).
- Cook the mushrooms – Heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft. Transfer mushrooms to a colander over a bowl to drain in case of excess liquid.
- Prepare the base – Place a sheet of baking paper / parchment paper on the bench. Put the puff pastry on top. Fold the edges inwards to create a 1 cm / 0.4″ border and brush them with melted butter.
- Assemble – Spread the grated Gruyère evenly over the pastry. Top with the mushrooms, spreading them evenly too.
- Bake – Lift the baking paper and tart onto the hot tray in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crisp (sides and underneath).
- Finish and serve – Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves and salt flakes. Drizzle with truffle oil or a good virgin olive oil (optional but highly recommended). Cut and serve hot.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Remembering Dozer
This photo takes me back to the early days at the old HQ, helping Nagi shooting recipes for the first cookbook “Dinner”. The studio downstairs was being renovated so we had to make do with what we had, I am sure you’ll appreciate the garbage bags taped on the window! And Dozer, of course, right where he believed he should be. Sitting between my legs, convinced he wasn’t taking up any space at all. Always there, watching, making sure things were done properly, or at least in a way that involved snacks! But we all know he was a meat lover and this time I don’t think he realised we were shooting our stuffed butternut pumpkin! 😅
Absolutely loved it, it was hard to stop eating even though we were already full. I have used Cheddar + a bit of Emmental. Fresh thyme works great indeed. Thank you for the recipe, it’s a keeper
Turned out perfect! I made this for a dinner party last night and everyone raved about it! I used truffle salt and truffle oil with lemon thyme to finish and it was perfection. Thanks for making me look good 😉
I have made this Mushroom tart three times in the last 2 weeks. Twice for the family and once for a friend for a girl’s night in. It was a hit every time. So quick and easy to make. For the girls night in added some nice crisp fresh salads. Your French apple tart served with vanilla custard and Madagascan vanilla bean icecream completed a memorable evening. Thank you JB
Sounds like a great night Lesley! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Loved the mushroom tart! I could not believe how easy and delicious this was. I impressed myself!
All I want to hear! Thanks Irene!!
Wow! I made this for dinner last night with your French bistro salad and I was transported back to Paris. It was spectacular but effortless. My daughter and I have Coeliac disease so we swapped in Simply Wize gf puff pastry (it needs to defrost for 15 minutes and be rolled out to ensure it goes crispy) and you couldn’t tell it was gf. I highly recommend adding truffle oil to finish to add a little glamour to a week night. Thank you!
Thanks Emma! Sounds like you got yourself a very cheap trip to France!!! 🙂
Thank you JB! This is the easiest recipe ever, delicious, and a wonderful quick and easy meal with mushrooms! Serve with a lovely green salad, and dinner or lunch in no time! Yummo.
Thanks Kate! I love how easy it is too!
Delicious, we love the apple version too!
Perfect! Thanks Sam!
Wow!!! This was amazing even with a gluten free pastry! I can’t have gluten and am always a little worried about substituting in a regular recipe because gluten free stuff is just different. My husband LOVES mushrooms while I just like them but we both loved this recipe. This was so good it will definitely get made often!! Thank you!!
Thanks Janet! GF pastry? I’m gonna add this to the post!! 🙂
Made this for an appetizer last night. Never has my partner in crime ever raved on and on about a recipe. Absolument magnifique!! Thank you JB. Can’t wait to make it again.
Thanks Kathy!! Glad it was a hit at your house 🙂
Another winning recipe! Made as written except that I was able to access gluten free puff pastry dough (Dufour – Whole Foods) which made it accessible for our guest. Also, no truffle oil but I have truffle salt so a little sprinkle of that with the olive oil. Such a lovely dish! Thanks again JB!
Great to hear Joyce! Thank you!
Made this one but as single serving. Quartering the big pastry sheet. Substituted with Emmentaler and we all
lOVED it so much, very very tasty. To be made again! Thanks JB it’s a winner.
Thanks Annemarie! Thank you for the feedback 🙂
10 out of 10 had to stop myself from eating the whole thing it was that good
Yes!!! Thank you Jennifer!
A fantastic tart, Chef JB – absolument délicieux!
We had it fresh last night, and what was left was tonight’s supper.
It’s gone straight onto the “make again – soon” list.
Greetings to you all from (very damp) Scotland
Thanks Neil! Glad it hit the mark!
Love this! So easy and quick to put together and yum! I couldn’t access Gruyère cheese though so used tasty and a little bit of Parmesan sand that worked well.
Thanks Chris! Good job on adding the parmesan for a little depth 🙂
I nearly had the entire neighbourhood at my door when cooking this dish. As I love garlic I added 2 cloves of garlic and used Raclette cheese as I forgot to buy Gruyere. The result was heaven.
Haha, you gonna have to make it more often if the whole neighbourhood shows up! Thanks Patsy!
This was so yummy!!! Very simple and light but full of flavor. I used olive oil rather than truffle oul
Thanks for your comment Kristi!!
Delicious and simple – perfect for an easy dinner with guests. I couldn’t find frozen puff pastry in Paris, nor was it square; but this had no impact on the final result. Swapped the Gruyère with cantal. It was delicious. For the appetizer, I made the recipe tincaneats carrot soup skipping the bacon and serving with a wild garlic (ail des ours) pesto! Can’t wait to eat the leftovers at lunch tomorrow!
Hi Emily, good on you for adapting the recipe with what you can find! I love that carrot soup too 🙂
I made this tonight with the only omission being the truffle oil, it was just beautiful and relatively simple to make. Thankyou for a really great recipe. Loved it.
Thanks Andrea, yes it’s also very good as is!
This was simple to do and absolutely delicious. Even better the next day as leftovers-there are only two of us so there were leftovers. The butter puff pastry made all the difference.
Thanks Carol! 🙂
Simple and spectacular!
Thanks Paula! No need to say more 🙂