Rise & Shine: Bacon & Egg Breakfast Tart

Bacon and eggs are classic.  They were made for lazy Sunday mornings, when you crawl out of bed late only because the cats have jumped on your head telling you it's time for food.  Theirs, not yours.  If you have kids instead of cats, it's probably the same deal.  After I crank up the heat, (because my house is freezing), and feed the fur babies, (because they are starving), I make tea and think about what I want to eat.  What will make me rise and shine today?   Either hot and healthy, or fancy and fatty, breakfast is what I like best about Sundays.  At least until Downton Abbey returns.  Seriously.  Who else is counting down? 

It's hard to improve on the bacon and egg perfection, but this tart might have done it.  The caramelized onions are the secret ingredient to deliciousness.  I was kind of amazed at just how well they go with bacon, potatoes, egg and cheese.  And puff pastry is the perfect base; the crisp edges are awesome for soaking up the bits of runny egg and you want to use a knife and fork but if no one is looking go ahead and use your hands.  You'll have the urge to eat it fast because it's so darn good, but slow down, enjoy every bit of flavour in every bite.

There are a few steps here, but you can caramelize your onions ahead of time, to save you time in the morning.  Got leftover boiled or roasted potatoes?  Slice them up and thrown them on too.  Do you cook your bacon in the oven like I do?  You totally should.  Layer the bacon on a parchment-lined bake sheet and cook until your desired crispness.  It's not messy and the bacon cooks perfectly flat.  Do this ahead as well, if you can.  Cooked bacon in the fridge is a very, very good thing.  Top everything with lots of good cheese, then crack a few eggs on it and put it in the oven.  All you have to do is take it out when the eggs are done to your liking.  Just make sure the whites are opaque, because a non-opaque white is kinda gross.  Eggs and olive oil are best friends, so go ahead and drizzle some of the good stuff on top of your eggs.  A sprinkle of chopped chives is a nice touch, too. 

Slide the tart onto your favourite cutting board, bring it to the table and be prepared for gasps of joy.  Chop, chop, chop, make sure everyone gets some egg and Sundays don't get better than that. 

Bacon & Egg Breakfast Tart

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed (I use the stuff already rolled flat in sheets. If you can't find, just roll a piece of puff pastry out flat, about 10 inches by 12 inches).
1 egg, lightly  beaten
1 onion, caramelized (if you need a refresher on how to caramelize onions, go here)
8-10 pieces of cooked bacon
12 thin slices of cooked potato
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (I used goat mozzarella)
salt and pepper to taste
2-4 eggs, depending on how many people are eating - at least one egg per person
olive oil
fresh chives

Preheat oven to 425*F.  Thaw the puff pastry according to package directions.  If you haven't prepped your onions, bacon and potato, you can do that while pastry is thawing.  Line a bake sheet with parchment, and place the thawed pastry on top.  Fold over edges of pastry inwards, about half an inch, creating a little border around the pastry.  Brush the edges with bit of beaten egg.  Lightly prick the centre of the pastry with a fork, about 7 times, but don't prick the edges.  Bake the pastry for about 10 minutes, then top with the caramelized onions, cooked bacon strips, cooked potato slices and cheese.  Season with salt and pepper. 
Crack as many eggs as you like onto the tart and put back in oven. (You can crack each egg into a small bowl first, that way you won't get any shells on your tart.) Cook until pastry is golden and eggs are cooked to your liking, just be sure whites are opaque, about 15-20 minutes.  Drizzle finished tart with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh chopped chives.  Cut and serve immediately.  Serves about 4.  Adapted from Tastespotting