Onion, Ham and Tomato Tart

This is how I dream at night. Crispy crust, creamy custard, sweet-tart caramelized onions and lots of cheese. My oven broke when this was only half-baked, so I had to deep-fridge it for a day—please do your own estimates on the temp and time.

Crust:

8 pieces phyllo dough, thawed if using frozen

Butter flavored cooking spray

Filling:

4 ounces chopped ham or 5 slices raw bacon, chopped

1 large onion (about 3 cups), chopped into large pieces

2 teaspoons butter

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

½ teaspoon white sugar

1 cup sour cream

1 egg

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups grated gruyere cheese and 1 cup grated Swiss or Emmentaler cheese, mixed together

12 or so cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions: Begin with the filling—sauté ham/bacon in a large skillet over medium low heat until browned. Drain and remove with a slotted spoon. Set aside. Melt the butter in the same pan and add the onions, vinegar and sugar. Cook on low until golden, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Let cool.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray an 8x13 rectangular baking sheet with cooking spray and lay in one sheet of phyllo (feel free to substitute any baking pan you wish). Spray the phyllo with spray and lay another sheet of phyllo on top. Continue with the rest of the phyllo the same way, overlapping as you go to cover the pan and sides completely. Tuck in any overhanging edges and spray the edges well with cooking spray. Cover with damp paper towels or a damp kitchen towel until everything else is ready.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, egg, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of the grated cheese mixture. Add the cooled onions to this bowl (reserving 2 Tablespoons to sprinkle on top) and spoon filling into the phyllo shell. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the tart, and then sprinkle the cherry tomatoes, reserved onions and the ham. Bake for 40 minutes, turning the pan around halfway through, or until the filling is set (only wiggles a little bit), the phyllo is a lovely golden brown and the cheese has melted and is bubbly. Let cool for five minutes and cut into nice big squares. Lovely served with a nice green salad.

Get creative on me: Leave out the meat to make it vegetarian. Substitute a pizza crust or a pie crust for the phyllo. Use different cheeses; it’s all up to you.