Savoury Brie and Beet Tart

The combination of roasted beets, walnuts, and cheese is unbeatable! This Savoury Brie and Beet Tart has all three of those ingredients baked on a light and fluffy puff pastry, drizzled with honey, and topped with fresh herbs. It’s hard to eat just one slice!

I’m a fan of beets! They’re great when roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper, but my Newfoundland upbringing will always have me favouring pickled beets. I thought about using pickled beets on this Savoury Brie and Beet Tart, but roasted beets are one of those vegetables that make me feel warm and cozy, especially in the winter months.

Pairing roasted beets with cheese is a no-brainer. It is done so much that I almost passed on sharing this recipe at all, but the decision to do so was confirmed by the taste. I could not hold back on a recipe so easy to prepare and so delicious as this one! The idea came to me when I saw a beet and walnut salad in one of my recipe books. They had crumbled feta on them, but a melty cheese is what I wanted for this tart.

As forgiving as it is delicious and beautiful, this tart is easily prepared according to your likes and dislikes. For example, if you don’t care for beets, a great substitute for this tart would be roasted red peppers or roasted sliced potatoes. You can use any melting cheese, such as mozzarella, provolone, swiss, etc. And, even walnuts can be substituted with pecans.

I’m going to tell you all about this appetizer and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re just kicking off the month of November, but I have a lot of Christmas-themed recipes to share with you this year, so I’ve got to get started early. So, before we get to a list of ingredients and instructions for this recipe, let me tell you about this series and more!

LORD BYRON’S 12 CHRISTMAS APPETIZERS SERIES

Another holiday series, Lord Byron? Yes – why not!? Welcome, Dear Reader, to the second of my annual holiday recipe series for this season! I’m calling this one Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Appetizers. This series will focus on easy-to-make appetizers that are both delicious and festive.

I will try to keep the recipes in this series quick and easy too. Most of them will require some baking, but they won’t be so complex that you can’t whip them up just before your guests arrive. Some are just assembly-type recipes, while others can be prepared in advance.

Just like every other holiday series that I’ve shared over the years, this series will see a new recipe shared every day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday appetizers year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Appetizers series! Even though this is the second series for this holiday season, you can always take a look back at previous years if you just cannot wait until the next recipe is published. Some of my favourites from previous years are my 12 Edible Wreaths of Christmas, my 12 Bars and Squares of Christmas series, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Frozen Store-Bought Puff Pastry – It is easier than homemade puff pastry and it works well, however, you can certainly use homemade puff pastry if you prefer.
• Brie – I cut the wheel of brie into thin wedges. You can leave the rind on the cheese or remove it. I don’t mind the rind left on, and I do find that removing it wastes a lot of the cheese inside, but ultimately, it’s up to you.
• Roasted Beets – Many larger grocery stores sell roasted beets, however, they are so easy to make at home. I’ll tell you how a few sections further down the page.
• Egg – The egg is whisked with water and brushed onto the puff pastry to make it golden brown.
• Walnuts – I’m using unsalted chopped walnuts.
• Herbs – A mixture of thyme, summer savoury is what I’m using. Other fresh herbs like sage and rosemary would be great as well.
• Honey – To drizzle over top and add a bit of shine and sweetness.

HOW TO MAKE SAVOURY BRIE AND BEET TART

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Roll out the thawed puff pastry sheets onto a cutting board. Whisk together the egg and water. Using a pastry brush, coat the entire surface of both sheets of puff pastry with the egg wash mixture.

Top the pastry with the brie, evenly distributing the wedges. Next, lay on the sliced roasted beets. Sprinkle over the chopped walnuts.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and top the tarts with the chopped rosemary and the thyme leaves. Drizzle over the honey. Slice and serve while still warm.

PREPARE AHEAD TO SAVE TIME LATER

If you plan on making this Savoury Brie and Beet Tart this holiday season, you can do some of the work ahead of time. The most time-consuming part of this recipe will be roasting the beets – that’s if you didn’t purchase pre-roasted beets. Beets can be prepared ahead of time.  Once they are roasted and cooled, you can transfer them to a food-safe container with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate them for up to 5 days. There is no need to reheat them; just slice them and place them on the tart. The heat from the oven will do the rest of the work.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. In the meantime, wash the beets really well, removing any soil residue. Do not cut the beets, leave the tails and stems intact! Wrap each beet loosely in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast the beets for 40 minutes.

Once done, you should be able to easily pierce the beet with a toothpick with very little resistance apart from the skin. If the beet is still on the firm side, roast it for an additional 5-10 minutes and check again. Some beets take longer than others. Remove the beets from the oven and allow them to cool for 20 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil, and while holding the beet under running water, gently rub the skin with your hands/fingers to remove the skin. Once all of the skin has been removed, trim the tails and stems, cut the beets into large bite-sized pieces and transfer them to a food-safe container for refrigeration.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!