Caramelized Onion, Mushroom, Apple and Swiss Puff Pastry Bites

Let's say you have a Christmas party this weekend and the hostess has asked you to bring an appetizer. She's an elegant gal, impeccable house, perfect kids and oh yeah, she's your husband's boss.  Sounds like a super-fun time to me (she says sarcastically). If you're stuck in this awkward/unwanted scenario I have a solution: bring the best appetizer in the room. Allow me to introduce you to your new best friend, the puff pastry cup. It's a French pastry that consists of multiple layers of rich and buttery yet light and flaky dough. A very time consuming animal to make BUT never fear, because you can buy it frozen in your grocer's freezer aisle. Yes, there it is right next to the  frozen pie crust and dinner rolls, this mysterious little package of buttery deliciousness. There are two popular options; a puff pastry sheet (2 sheets per package) or the puff pastry cups which is what I used for this recipe. The cups are all kinds of awesome because all you have to do is break them apart, bake them, remove the centers and fill with the amazing (and did I mention, vegetarian) filling! Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and puff pastry is definitely in his bag of holiday treats. Throw a package in your cart, my friend, because you're gonna need it.   

Now let's talk about caramelizing onions for the filling. Caramelized onions are one of the most underused ingredients in the kitchen; so easy to make and chock full of flavor. I'm not gonna lie, it's a time consuming process but it pays off in the end. Just heat some oil in a pan, thinly slice onions, salt and let them cook on low heat for 30-45 minutes. Yes, I know it's the holidays and you're busy but you're in the kitchen already, right? Get the onions going while you empty the dishwasher and make your kids a frozen pizza (because that's what you do when you hire a sitter to go to your husband's holiday party, right)? Cook those babies low and slow until they start to brown and shrink to less than half the size you started with. Now, before you go googling shortcuts on how to caramelize onions in a flash let me stop you to give you some advice, and let me be clear when I say this: DON'T DO IT! There is no substitute for cooking these onions using the method described. Yes, someone might tell you to add balsamic vinegar to the onions to colorize them and "caramelize" them faster. Or you might find a bit of advice about adding sugar to the onions. It's not the same and there is no substitute for olive oil, onions and salt in a pan cooked slowly. Trust me, I know because I've tried it and been disappointed. Once the onions are caramelized they blend beautifully with earthy sauteed mushrooms, crisp, sweet apples, creamy swiss cheese and hearty herbs in those delightful puff pastry shells. Boom! Elegant appetizers, done.Pull up to that party with confidence, my friend, because you've got this! Hopefully, you've also got a bottle of champagne as a hostess gift because champagne covers a multitude of sins. 

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom, Apple and Swiss Puff Pastry Bites (adapted from tablefortwoblog.com)

2 T. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 t. salt
4 oz. button mushrooms, finely chopped
2 T. unsalted butter
1 medium granny smith apple, finely chopped
1 t. sugar
1 1/2 oz. grated swiss cheese
1 T. dried chives
1/2 t. dried thyme
Additional salt and pepper to taste
1 (9 1/2 oz.) package frozen puff pastry cups (such as Pepperidge Farm)

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat then add the onions and salt. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook the onions, stirring occasionally, for about 30-45 minutes until the onions are golden brown. Remove the onions to a large bowl. Add the mushrooms to the same skillet and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes until they are browned and tender. Remove to the bowl with the onions. 

In the same skillet melt the butter then add the apples and sugar. Saute the apples over medium high heat for about 10 minutes until they are tender. Add the apples to the bowl with the onions and mushrooms. Add the cheese, chives and thyme to the bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Bake the puff pastry cups according to the package directions. Once they are baked, remove the centers (I used a butter knife) and discard. Fill each puff pastry cup with the filling and pop them back in the oven for an addition 2-3 minutes to melt the cheese. 

Makes 24 bites (78 calories each bite) according to my calculator on loseit.com