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Picnic Tart

A savory tart with spinach, ground beef, sausage, mushrooms, scallions, mozzarella, and roasted red peppers baked in a springform pan.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 17 ingredients
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Why it works: Olive and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 15,539 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓

Picnic Tart

Oven375°F
Time35 to 40 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the pan and filling

  1. Lightly butter sides and bottom of an 8-inch springform pan.

  2. Evenly sift bake mix onto sides and bottom of pan; set aside.

  3. Cook spinach according to package directions. Transfer to a strainer. With a spoon, press spinach firmly against sides to remove as much liquid as possible. Set aside.

  4. Heat oven to 375°F.

  5. Heat a 9-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot. Crumble in ground beef and sausage. Cook until meat is browned, about 10 to 12 minutes, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Transfer to a colander to drain off any fat.

  6. Heat oil in same skillet over medium heat. Add scallions, mushrooms and garlic. Cook until scallions and mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in browned meat.

Assemble the tart

  1. Add strained tomatoes, 1 cup of the mozzarella and the Italian seasoning, stirring until well combined. Transfer mixture to prepared springform pan, spreading into an even layer with the back of a spoon. Press firmly into pan.

  2. In a medium bowl, lightly beat egg. Add spinach, remaining 1 cup of the mozzarella, the 1/4 cup of the roasted red pepper and the pepper; stir until well combined. Spread over beef mixture, pressing down firmly.

  3. Arrange remaining roasted red pepper strips in center; sprinkle Parmesan over top. Place springform pan on a large baking sheet with a rim.

Bake and serve

  1. Bake until Parmesan is lightly browned and tart is heated all the way through, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes on baking sheet.

  2. Run a sharp knife around sides of tart, release the sides of the springform pan and transfer tart to a serving platter. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1187Calories
86 gProtein
82 gFat
29 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 15 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Beef100g cooked250
Pork100g cooked242
Pine Nut1 oz (28g)191
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Parmesan Cheese1 oz (28g)110
Mozzarella Cheese1 oz (28g)85
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Mushrooms1/2 cup sliced (35g)15
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Spinach1 cup raw (30g)7
Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Garlic1 clove (3g)4

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Olive + tomatotop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together15,539 recipes

    Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).

  2. Spinach + garlictop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,435 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

  3. Olive + garlictop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together25,665 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

  4. Garlic + tomatotop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together14,076 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  5. Beef + mushroomtop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,232 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Eggs
Binds the spinach and cheese mixture so it sets into a sliceable filling.
Mozzarella cheese
Melts into the filling, giving stretch and a creamy, cohesive texture.
Ground beef and sausage
Provide the savory, browned meat base that gives the tart its body and richness.
Spinach
Adds moisture-controlled bulk and a earthy flavor once squeezed dry.
Crushed tomatoes
Add moisture and acidity that balance the rich meat and cheese.
Parmesan cheese
Browns on top and adds a sharp, salty flavor.

The step that matters

Pressing the spinach dry. Excess water from the spinach would thin the egg and cheese mixture and make the base soggy, so pressing out as much liquid as possible helps the tart set firmly when baked.

Swap the spinach

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, olive, mushroom, garlic, mozzarella cheese, tomato, egg):

  1. Capsicumfits about as well
  2. Spinachthe original
  3. Eggplantfits about as well
  4. Chivefits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against beef, olive, mushroom, garlic, mozzarella cheese, tomato, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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