Savory Bacon Cranberry Cheese Tartlets-
Savory Bacon Cranberry Cheese Tartlets are a delightfully tasty, gluten-free, low-carb, and grain-free appetizer.
Preparing it is simple and has become quite a big hit with my family and holiday guests.
This recipe is sponsored by: Mahon Menorca Cheese.
These savory bacon cranberry cheese tarts are a winner with a buttery almond pie crust and a filling made with bacon, dried cranberries, and the oh-so-delicious, melted Semi-Cured Mahon Menorca Cheese with a sprinkle of fresh thyme.
First, we need to talk about cheese. I love cheese, and it’s the one reason why I can’t consistently stay on a strict paleo diet.
Also, it is one of the main reasons why I love the low-carb and keto diet because I can have cheese, as it is nearly carb-free. Oh, cheese, I just can’t quit you!
I truly have no regrets in saying “yes” to sampling the Mahon Menorca Cheese and creating a recipe for them using their lovely cheese.
What I didn’t realize when they sent me the cheese was how special it was and how much I would become obsessed with it.
The hubby and I love Mahon Menorca Cheese even more than Brie (sorry, Brie, we still love you, but there is a new cheese in town).
The History of Mahon Menorca Cheese:
Mahon Menorca Cheese is a P.G.O product (Protected Guarantee of Origin), which is a product very closely related to the geographic area where the product is produced: the island of Minorca.
Climate, temperature, humidity, light, soil conditions, etc, together with a human element, production processes, and traditional maturing processes which all contribute to the aroma and taste of this special cheese.
Mahon Menorca cheese is from Minorca, one of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to Spain.
The history of cheese-making on the island of Minorca goes back a very long ago, including prehistory, according to archaeologists.
The Mahon Menorca cheese is still made by using many of the very old cheese-making practices.
Mahon Menorca Cheeses are a freshly pressed paste cheese with rounded edges and corners and a parallelepiped shape. They use milk that is from freshly milked cows.
Mahon Menorca Cheese is available in 3 delicious varieties:
- Tender: A soft, yellowish-white colored cheese with very little crust. Soft and creamy texture with a milky, buttery flavor and an acidulous touch. ( 21- 60 days).
- Semi-Cured: A firm but easy-to-cut cheese with an ivory color and an orange crust. It has a milky, tasty, and more developed flavor with a buttery nutty taste. (2-5 months).
- Cured: A firm, hard, mature cheese with a very developed flavor, aroma, and a complex, intense aftertaste. Hints of old wood, tanned leather, or a wine cellar. A treat for cheese connoisseurs. (more than five months).
I was so relieved when I found out that the Mahon Menorca Cheese is available in the USA and can be purchased at these stores and shops:
Fairway, West Side Market, Gourmet Garage, Saveway, Wholefoods, Kroger, Costco, Central Markets, Central and Town & Country Markets.
(Some of the stores are in my area, yay! I thought I might have to move to Spain).
Learn More about Mahon Menorca Cheese:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MahonCheese/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MahonCheese
Savory Bacon Cranberry Cheese Tartlets Recipe-
Ingredients:
Tart Crust:
- 2 cups blanched almond flour, fine ground
- 1 lg egg
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Filling:
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
- 6 ounces (about 1 ½ cups) Mahon Menorca Semi-Cured Cheese or Gouda or Harvarti Cheese, cubed
- ½ cup unsweetened or sugar-free dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper *optional
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C) and grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
- In a large mixing bowl combine tart crust ingredients: almond flour, egg, melted butter and sea salt. Mix until dough forms.
- Form dough into 12 balls using your hands. Place each dough ball into each prepared muffin cup.
- Using a small glass or cup that fits in the muffin cup, press dough ball down and turn to make a depression and form the tart crust. * see photos below directions.
- Once all the tarts crusts are shaped, bake the crusts by themselves at 375 F (190 C) for 7 minutes until lightly golden. Remove crusts from oven.
- Fill partially baked crusts with chopped cooked bacon, cubed Mahon Menorca cheese, and dried cranberries. Sprinkle with tartlets with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme leaves.
- Bake tartlets at 375 F (190 C) for 10 minutes or until cheese is completely melted. Remove from oven and let cool for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Using a butter knife between the tartlet crust and muffin cups, slide the knife around the edges tartlets and lift to remove each tart and serve. *Printable recipe card at bottom of post.*
Nutritional Data: Yield: 12 Servings, Serving size: 1 tartlet, Amount per serving: Cal: 239, Total Carbs: 6 g, Net Carbs: 3 g, Fiber: 3 g, Fat: 20 g, Saturated Fat: 8 g, Protein: 9 g, Sugars: 2 g.
📖 Printable Recipe Card
Savory Bacon Cranberry Cheese Tartlets
Ingredients
Tart Crust:
- 2 cups blanched almond flour fine ground
- 1 lg egg
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Filling:
- 6 slices bacon cooked and chopped
- 6 ounces about 1 ½ cups Mahon Menorca Semi-Cured Cheese or Gouda or Harvarti Cheese, cubed
- ½ cup unsweetened or sugar-free dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper *optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C) and grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
- In a large mixing bowl combine tart crust ingredients: almond flour, egg, melted butter and sea salt. Mix until dough forms.
- Form dough into 12 balls using your hands. Place each dough ball into each prepared muffin cup.
- Using a small glass or cup that fits in a muffin cup, press dough ball down and turn to make a depression and form the tartlet crust. * see photo
- Once all the tarts crusts are shaped, bake the crusts by themselves at 375 F (190 C) for 7 minutes until lightly golden. Remove crusts from oven.
- Fill partially baked crusts with chopped cooked bacon, cubed Mahon Menorca cheese, and dried cranberries. Sprinkle with tartlets with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme leaves.
- Bake tartlets at 375 F (190 C) for 10 minutes or until cheese is completely melted. Remove from oven and let cool for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Using a butter knife between the tartlet crust and muffin cups, slide the knife around the edges tartlets and lift to remove each tart and serve.
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Notes
Nutrition
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Bob says
What kind of cheese can you use if you don't find this cheese?
Stacey says
Hi Bob, You can use Havarti, Gouda or Wensleydale cheese instead of the Mahon Menorca Cheese.
Robert Malzacher says
Thanks. I will try it in a few days.
Kim says
Have you tried making these ahead and freezing them?
Shirley says
I've been wanting to try this recipe for ages but could never find either the mahon cheese or unsweetened cranberries. I finally found the cranberries on Amazon but had to opt for havarti cheese as the mahon is nowhere to be found up here in the Pacific Northwest. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and we love them! I will make a few tweeks next time - no added salt - the bacon and havarti are salty enough on their own for our taste. Also I will add a few more cranberries for extra flavor and possibly a small amount of chopped pecans. This is going to be a hit for our holidays get togethers. Thanks for the recipe - and I will continue to look for the mahon, but I've got a hunch that Covid has severely limited imports.
Stacey says
Thank you, Shirley, for trying the recipe and for your kind words. These tarts are my favorite but the cranberries are hard to find at certain times of the year.
Marybeth Conrad says
Thank you for the delicious recipe! I followed the recipe but put them in a mini muffin pan. Recipe made 24 mini tartlets and they came out perfect! So savory, a little sweet, and the flavors meld perfectly. I used gouda since I could not find the mahon. A must try! Taking them to a girls wine club tonight!
Stacey says
Thank you, Marybeth, I'm so happy you tried them and thank you so much for the kind words.
Donna says
How long did you cook them in the mini muffin pan? Sounds like a great item to bring to girls night.
Lori says
Are you able to freeze these and then reheat?
Stacey says
I refrigerated them and reheated them. I have not tried freezing them but would need to be careful not to burn the crust.
Mel says
Hello! Any alternatives for the cheese described? I can't find it in my area.
Stacey says
Ye, Mel, you can use a semi-soft cheese like Havarti, if you can't find the cheese in your area.
Tessa@tessadomesticdiva.com says
These look SO SO good!! Perfect appy for the holiday season! Thanks, sharing all around!
Stacey says
Thank you Tessa.
Anne says
Put a teaspoon of pepper jelly on the bottom of tartlets before adding otber ingredients. Yummy!
Stacey says
That sounds good, Anne.