A flaky, buttery tart filled with roasted vegetables in a creamy filling. A savory Cheddar carrot tart is a great way to enjoy your fresh carrots, and makes a wonderful brunch or light dinner!
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I love exploring the unique and new-to-me, edible offerings at farmer's market stands: baked treats, sauces and jams, rustic breads, and of course, the veggies.
While recently browsing an indoor market I came to a farmer with tons of veggies on display, including a huge variety of carrots. The bunches of white, yellow, and purple carrots were dazzling, as were the larger Dragon variety that has a dark, garnet color.
Despite the lure of those dazzling rainbow carrots, I was drawn to a big bag (three or four pounds) of plain ol' orange carrots: medium-sized, twisty, and even though bits of soil still clung to them they were gleaming and fresh. They just looked so cheerful, and delicious!
To be honest, I don't tend to look at raw carrots and think "delicious!" Carrots cooked into other things tend to be more my preference—with raw carrots, my reaction is something closer to, "Well, someone has to eat these. Do we have any dip?"
Despite this, I grabbed a big bag of these cheerful carrots and brought them home.
I thought about making them into Carrot Ginger Soup or bringing them to a friend's house to snack on... with a big bowl of dip. But instead, I decided to make something new. Savory pies and tarts are always tempting, whether for a brunch gathering or a casual dinner. So I took my happy carrots, gave them a roast, and blended them into this tart.
This is just one of many ways to prepare root veggie recipes!
Why you'll love this recipe
The texture of the carrot filling is creamy, smooth, and has a balance of savory notes from onions, sharp Cheddar cheese, and herbs against the sweetness of the carrots. And I love the extra flavor that comes from roasting the veggies beforehand.
This tart is made with my All-Butter Pie Crust, so it's just as tasty as the filling: flaky, tender, and buttery. This dough is easy to make in advance and hold in the fridge or the freezer until you're ready to make your tart.
🔪 How to make Savory Cheddar Carrot Tart
Step 1: Prepare the pie shell
Roll out the half portion of All-Butter Pie Crust dough into a circle, and fit the circle into a tart pan. Press the dough into place all around the sides and over the bottom, then crimp the edge. Hold the shell in the fridge.
Step 2: Prepare the veggies
Slice the carrots and onions into chunks, then coat them with oil and seasonings. Spread them on a baking sheet, then roast them in the oven until they're tender.
Step 3: Make the filling
Blend the cooled, roasted veggies with milk, then mix them with beaten eggs, cream, and shredded Cheddar cheese.
Step 4: Fill the tart
Pour the carrot filling into the tart shell. Sprinkle more Cheddar cheese over the top.
Step 5: Bake, then serve
Bake the tart for a little over a half-hour, until the filling is set. Let the tart cool for a short time, then slice and serve.
Notes:
- This tart uses my All-Butter Pie Crust recipe, a half-portion. Find the recipe for the Pie Crust here. Or, you can use your own homemade or store-bought pie crust dough: use an amount equivalent to a single crust.
I hope you find this to be a fun way to highlight the flavor of fresh, flavorful, cheerful carrots!
The recipe for this Savory Carrot Cheddar Tart is below. Here are some other veggie dishes you should check out:
💬 Have you made this carrot tart? Click on the stars to rate the recipe or leave a comment for me below!
Savory Carrot Cheddar Tart
Ingredients
- ½ All-Butter Pie Crust Recipe, chilled
- 1¼ pounds fresh carrots
- 1 medium onion, about 7-8 ounces, peeled, ends removed
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1½ teaspoon salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup half and half
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
Instructions
Get the pie crust ready
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the half-portion of All-Butter Pie Crust into a 13-inch circle.
- Fit the dough circle into a 10-inch tart pan, and gently press the dough into place all around the pan and against the sides. Fold the edge under itself and crimp it firmly all the way around.
- Cover the shell with plastic wrap and place the pan in the fridge until the filling is ready.
Roast the carrots and onions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Peel the carrots and cut off the tops and ends. Cut the carrots into 1½-inch chunks. Place them in a medium bowl.
- Cut the onions in half, then cut each half into three or four chunks. Place these in the bowl as well. Add to the bowl the oil, ½ teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.
- Stir to coat the vegetables with the oil and seasonings, then spread the veggies on the prepared sheet into an even layer.
- Place the pan in the oven and roast the veggies 35 to 40 minutes, until the carrots are soft. Remove the pan from the oven.
- Increase the oven temperature to 425° F. Move the middle oven rack down one spot so that it's closer to the bottom of the oven.
Prepare the filling
- Allow the roasted carrots and onions to cool a little, and then transfer them to the bowl of a food processor, along with the 1 cup of milk. Blend these until they are thoroughly combined and smooth. Set this mixture aside. (An immersion blender with a tall container also works well for this step.)
- In a large bowl beat the eggs together with the half and half, the remaining teaspoon of salt and the thyme.
- Add the carrot mixture to the bowl and whisk to combine it all together. Stir in half of the Cheddar cheese.
Fill and bake the tart
- Take the pastry shell from the fridge and remove the plastic. Pour carrot filling into shell.
- Sprinkle the remaining Cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Place the tart carefully into the oven on the lowered rack.
- Bake the tart for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 325° F and bake for another 20 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Place the tart on a cooling rack and allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- This tart uses my All-Butter Pie Crust recipe, a half-portion. Find the recipe for the Pie Crust here. Or, you can use your own homemade or store-bought pie crust dough - use an amount equivalent to a single crust.
Jen
I had a ton of fresh carrots looking for something new to try and found this. To say this recipe is amazing is an understatement!! It is so easy to make! I’ll definitely be making this for my next get together with friends! Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!
Nancy Mock
Hi Jen! I'm so happy to hear that you liked my carrot tart, what wonderful feedback! Thank you for giving the recipe a try, and I hope your friends will like it, too. I agree, it's nice to find new ways to use up a bunch of fresh carrots. Thank you for sharing this with me!
Sandra P. Cohen
Surprisingly easy and delicious- especially the crust. Will be my go to pie crust from now on.
Nancy Mock
Thank you Sandra, I'm so happy you enjoyed it! I love this crust too, so buttery good. 🙂