Potato and Bacon Torte

***This is my take on Melissa D'Arabian's recipe from Food Network, I made it for a work party the other night and it was a hit!***

Crust:

2 1/4 cups flour
2 sticks butter, frozen or very cold, cut into cubes
1 tsp salt
8-10 TBSP ice water

Pulse flour, butter, and salt in food processor, when the consistency of wet sand, start adding water one tablespoon at a time. Until dough is formed. Divide into 2 halves, and wrap in plastic. Let refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Filling:

3/4 cup half & half
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, slightly crushed to release flavor, but still whole to be able to scoop out
About 3 new red potatoes, sliced thin
1 zucchini, sliced thin
1/4 red onion, sliced thin
3 strips bacon, cut small and cooked until crisp
1/2 Gruyere cheese, shredded

Put half and half, thyme, and garlic in a saucepan, simmer while prepping the rest of the ingredients to allow time for the flavors to seep.

Roll out one of the discs of dough to fit a pie pan. 1 layer of potatoes, salt and pepper to taste, use some bacon, then a layer of zucchini and a few onion slices. Repeat until pie is full. Remove thyme and garlic from half and half. Pour over the veggies in the pie. Top with the shredded cheese.

Roll out second half of dough, top the pie, crimp the edges. Brush with egg wash. Make three slits for steam release.

Bake at 375 for 50-60 minutes.

Giada's Breakfast Tart

Butter, for greasing the pan
Flour, for dusting the pan
1 9 inch pie crust
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 ounces pancetta, cut into pieces
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
2 cups shredded Grugere cheese
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

(The store was out of mascarpone, so I just used low fat cream cheese. The pancetta didn't look that great, so I just used bacon).

Preheat oven to 400. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of the tart/pie pain. With tines of fort, prick the pastry. Using a pastry brush, coat the crust with the beaten egg white. Put the pan on a baking sheet and bake until the egg white has set, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until brown and crispy. Drain on paper towel.

In a medium bowl, combine the beaten eggs, mascarpone, Gruyere, green onions, salt, pepper, and pancetta. Mix until smooth. Pour the mixture into the crust and bake until the mixtrue has set and the top is golden, about 18-20 minutes. Cool and serve.

Turkey Cranberry Wreath

2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls

1/2 cup mayo

2 T Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 cups cooked turkey, chopped

1/2 cup celery, sliced

3 T fresh parsley, snipped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

4 oz Swiss cheese, shredded (1 cup)

1/4 walnuts, chopped

1 egg white

Preheat oven to 375. Unroll crescent dough; separate into 16 triangles. With wide ends of triangles toward the center, arrange 8 triangles in a circle on large baking stone. Corners of wide ends will touch. Arrange remaining 8 trianges in center, matching wide ends to outer triangles. Seal seams.

Combine mayo, mustard, turkey, black pepper, celery, parsley, cranberries, and cheese in large bowl. Mix and scoop filling over seams of dough, forming a circle.

Sprinkle walnuts over filling. Beginning in center, lift one triangle across mixture. Continue alternating with outer triangles, slightly overlapping to form wreath. Tuck last end under first.

Beat egg white lightly and brush over dough. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.