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    Home » Recipes » appetizers

    Mushroom Tart Football

    Modified: Sep 8, '23 · Published: Jan 27, '12 · By: Beth Klosterboer · Commission earned on paid or sponsored links.

    Jump to Recipe

    This Mushroom Tart Football is a fun appetizer to serve at your Super Bowl party or game-day dinner. The puff pastry crust is filled with Madeira wine-infused mushrooms and is decorated with mozzarella cheese.

    mushroom tart football

    If you have ever tasted the Madeira Mushroom Chicken from the Cheesecake Factory, you'll know about the amazing combination of sweet Madeira wine and savory caramelized mushrooms. If you haven't, well, you are in for a treat.

    I was inspired by this dish to create this swoon-worthy Super Bowl appetizer. Of course, I had to make it look festive too.

    The football-shaped appetizer is made with a puff pastry crust that is filled with Madeira mushrooms and decorated with slices of mozzarella cheese. It tastes as great as it looks.

    If you really aren't a fan of mushrooms, check out my Teddy Bear Taco Tart recipe. The puff pastry crust is filled with taco meat and toppings.

    mushroom tart football served on a green football field tablecloth with a bowl of nacho chips and cheese dip.

    Ingredients

    flour to dust your work surface
    1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
    egg wash (mix one small egg with ½ teaspoon water) or milk or cream

    Cremini mushrooms (aka Baby Bella Mushrooms)
    Shiitake mushrooms
    olive oil
    Pancetta
    butter
    shallot
    garlic
    roasted red peppers
    Madeira Wine
    beef broth
    balsamic vinegar
    Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
    3 long slices of white cheese from an 8-ounce block (I used Mozzarella)*

    *You will need thin slices of white cheese to decorate your tart. I cut thin slices from the long edge of an 8-ounce block of cheese then cut them into the desired shapes. If you use cheese slices, you'll need rectangle slices.

    Supplies

    rolling pin
    pizza wheel and/or knife
    pastry brush
    fork
    baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat
    paper towels
    12-inch skillet

    Instructions

    making footballs out of puff pastry.

    Create a football-shaped crust.

    • Lightly dust a cutting board with flour.
    • Unfold the thawed sheet of puff pastry pinching together the seams, if necessary.
    • Use a rolling pin to roll the pastry dough out into a 12" x 14" rectangle.
    • Use a pizza wheel or knife to cut out a football shape in the center of the dough being sure to leave ¼" of dough on either side.
    • Cut a ¼" wide strip from each side of the dough.
    • Use a rolling pin to gently roll the strips to increase their length. They need to be long enough to reach from one end of the football to the other.
    • Brush egg wash, milk, or cream all along the edge of the football.
    • Lay one strip on either side of the football dough.
    • Cut off the excess dough.
    • Lift up the football and place it on a parchment paper or Silpat-lined baking sheet.
    • Brush egg wash over the surface of the football.
    • Use a fork to prick holes all over the dough not including the border. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. If you are going to bake your football as soon as your filling is ready, preheat the oven to 400 degrees now.
    cleaning mushrooms

    Clean the mushrooms.

    • Clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel.
    • Remove the stems from the Shiitake mushrooms.
    • Slice and set aside.
    cooking pancetta in the skillet.

    Cook the pancetta.

    • Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat.
    • Chop the Pancetta into small pieces and sprinkle in the hot pan.
    • Cook, stirring often, until crisp. 
    • Use a slotted spoon to remove the crispy Pancetta from the skillet.
    • Drain it on a piece of paper towel. Set aside.
    • In the same hot pan add shallots and saute until translucent.
    • Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.
    • Add finely chopped roasted red peppers and cook just until all the liquid evaporates.
    • Pour mixture into a bowl and set aside.
    cooking mushrooms in a skillet.

    Sautee the mushrooms.

    • In the same hot skillet add a little over a teaspoon of oil and a pat of butter.
    • As soon as the butter melts add 3 ounces of sliced mushrooms (about ⅕ of your total.) You want one layer of mushrooms in the pan with room around each mushroom. If you crowd the pan, the mushrooms will steam instead of caramelize. Take your time here to get good browning on each side of your mushroom slices - this is flavor!!!! 
    • Once these mushrooms are brown, remove them from the pan.
    • Add more oil and butter to the pan and repeat the process until all the mushrooms are browned.
    cooking mushrooms, pancetta, roasted red peppers, wine, beef broth, and cheese in a skillet.

    Cook the mushrooms in the wine.

    • Return the mushrooms, Pancetta, and roasted red pepper mixture to the skillet.
    • Pour in the wine, beef broth, and balsamic vinegar.
    • Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove all the brown bits and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
    • Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost all of the moisture evaporates.
    • Remove from the heat and add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Stir to combine.

    At this point, you can either make your tart or refrigerate your mushrooms until ready to use.

    football shaped tart filled with mushroom filling.

    Fill the tart shell with Madeira mushrooms.

    • To make the tart, pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
    • Bake the pastry for 15 minutes until it is golden brown.
    • Spoon the mushrooms over the center of the tart.
    • Bake for an additional 8 minutes if the mushrooms are warm, and up to 15 minutes if they are cold.
    football tart filled with mushrooms and decorated with mozzarella cheese.

    Decorate with cheese slices.

    • Cut slices of cheese to make the laces and stripes on the football.
    • Set on the hot tart to melt the cheese slightly.
    • Serve hot.

    Related Recipes

    Deviled egg footballs decorated with bacon and mayonnaise laces set in a egg serving platter

    Deviled Egg Footballs

    soft pretzel footballs served with mustard and cheese on a Super Bowl football napkin

    Soft Pretzel Footballs

    chocolate football cookies decorated with chocolate and vanilla frosting served on a white platter on a green tablecloth.

    Football Cookies

    If you want more tailgating or homegating party ideas for the college football season, be sure to check out my Football Party Food ideas.

    Recipe

    mushroom tart football
    Print
    Mushroom Tart Football
    Prep Time
    30 mins
    Cook Time
    1 hr
     

    A football-shaped puff pastry crust is filled with Madeira mushrooms and roasted red peppers. The football tart is decorated with mozzarella cheese laces.

    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: appetizer, mushrooms, super bowl snacks, tart
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 410 kcal
    Author: Beth Klosterboer
    Ingredients
    • flour to dust work surface
    • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough thawed
    • 1 tablespoon egg wash (mix one small egg with ½ teaspoon water or use milk or cream)
    • 8 ounces Cremini mushrooms aka Baby Bella Mushrooms
    • 8 ounces Shiitaki mushrooms
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 ounces Pancetta or bacon
    • 2-3 tablespoons butter, divided
    • 1 shallot, diced
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 4 roasted red peppers, finely chopped
    • ¾ cup Madeira Wine
    • ¼ cup beef broth
    • ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
    • 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
    • 3 long slices of white cheese from an 8 ounce block (I used Mozzarella)
    Instructions
    1. Lightly dust a cutting board with flour.
    2. Unfold the thawed sheet of puff pastry pinching together the seams, if necessary.
    3. Use a rolling pin to roll the pastry dough out into a 12" x 14" rectangle.
    4. Use a pizza wheel or knife to cut out a football shape in the center of the dough being sure to leave ¼" of dough on either side.
    5. Cut a ¼" wide strip from each side of the dough.
    6. Use a rolling pin to gently roll the strips to increase their length. They need to be long enough to reach from one end of the football to the other.
    7. Brush egg wash, milk, or cream all along the edge of the football.
    8. Lay one strip on either side of the football dough.
    9. Cut off the excess dough.
    10. Lift up the football and place it on a parchment paper or Silpat-lined baking sheet.
    11. Brush egg wash over the surface of the football.
    12. Use a fork to prick holes all over the dough not including the border.   Refrigerate for 30 minutes. If you are going to bake your football as soon as your filling is ready, preheat the oven to 400 degrees now.
    13. Clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel.
    14. Remove the stems from the Shiitaki mushrooms.
    15. Slice and set aside.
    16. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat.
    17. Chop Pancetta into small pieces and sprinkle in the hot pan.
    18. Cook, stirring often, until crisp.
    19. Use a slotted spoon to remove the crispy Pancetta from the skillet.
    20. Drain it on a piece of paper towel. Set aside.
    21. In the same hot pan add shallots and saute until translucent.
    22. Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.
    23. Add finely chopped roasted red peppers and cook just until all the liquid evaporates.
    24. Pour mixture into a bowl and set aside.
    25. In the same hot skillet add a little over a teaspoon of oil and a pat of butter.
    26. As soon as the butter melts add 3 ounces of sliced mushrooms (about ⅕ of your total.) You want one layer of mushrooms in the pan with room around each mushroom. If you crowd the pan, the mushrooms will steam instead of caramelize. Take your time here to get good browning on each side of your mushroom slices - this is flavor!!!!
    27. Once these mushrooms are brown, remove them from the pan.
    28. Add more oil and butter to the pan and repeat the process until all the mushrooms are browned.
    29. Return the mushrooms, Pancetta, and roasted red pepper mixture to the skillet.
    30. Pour in the wine, beef broth, and balsamic vinegar.
    31. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove all the brown bits and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
    32. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost all of the moisture evaporates.
    33. Remove from the heat and add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Stir to combine.
    34. At this point, you can either make your tart or refrigerate your mushrooms until ready to use.
    35. To make the tart, pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
    36. Bake the pastry for 15 minutes until it is golden brown.
    37. Spoon the mushrooms over the center of the tart.
    38. Bake for an additional 8 minutes if the mushrooms are warm, and up to 15 minutes if they are cold.
    39. Cut slices of cheese to make the laces and stripes on the football.
    40. Set on the hot tart to melt the cheese slightly.
    41. Serve hot.
    Recipe Notes

    Bake this mushroom tart the day you plan to serve it. Puff pastry is best the day it is baked. 

     

    • Author
    • Recent Posts
    Beth Klosterboer
    Beth Klosterboer
    Hi, I'm Beth Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com
    Beth Klosterboer
    Latest posts by Beth Klosterboer (see all)
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    Comments

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    1. Loladealmeria says

      February 05, 2012 at 10:05 pm

      Sigo tu blog desde hace mucho tiempo y me encanta todas las cosas tan originales que haces. Enhorabuena, todo es muy bonito y apetecible.
      He puesto un enlace desde mi blog al tuyo. Pasa a verlo cuando quieras.
      Saludos desde Almeria.

      Reply
      • Beth Jackson Klosterboer says

        February 05, 2012 at 10:35 pm

        Thanks Almeria, I am so happy to have you following my blog. I'm glad you like my ideas.

        Reply
    2. Mindie Hilton says

      February 01, 2012 at 8:29 pm

      Wow that's some awesome game day food. Thanks for sharing at Bacon Time.

      Reply
    3. Amanda says

      February 01, 2012 at 4:00 pm

      We love this idea! Great for Superbowl Sunday and it's so versatile too! You can put anything in there! Our food lovers on our community page would LOVE this! We hope you stop by and share this! http://bit.ly/yI0sZU

      Reply
    4. Teri@thefreshmancook says

      January 29, 2012 at 6:12 am

      We are a mushroom loving family, and this is going on our Super Bowl Menu! Looks delicious!! Thanks for posting at my Super bowl Eats and Treats Party!

      Reply
    5. Beth (www.livinglifeintentionally.blogspot.com) says

      January 29, 2012 at 1:54 am

      This looks awesome!!! I am totally going to try this! Thanks for linking up to TGIF. Have a great week!!
      Beth =-)

      Reply
    6. Lady Behind The Curtain says

      January 28, 2012 at 5:57 pm

      CONGRATULATIONS!!! Your recipe is being "featured" today on Today's Menu Round Up.
      http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/?p=23268
      Please come over and grab a "featured" button.
      http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/?page_id=1844
      Thank you for sharing your recipe with me at Cast Party Wednesday!
      ---Sheryl---

      Reply
      • Beth Jackson Klosterboer says

        January 28, 2012 at 6:41 pm

        Hi Sheryl - thanks so much for featuring this recipe on your Menu Round Up. I'll be back to link up at Cast Party Wednesday with some Valentine's Day treats.

        Reply
    7. MyFudo™ says

      January 28, 2012 at 2:51 pm

      I love the creativity! I bet the flavor will be as amazing as the presentation. Great post!

      Reply
    8. Zee says

      January 28, 2012 at 5:27 am

      You always come up with such unique ideas.. I am so impressed!

      Reply
    9. Nicole Feliciano says

      January 27, 2012 at 7:21 pm

      So festive for kick off. Thanks so much for sharing on Momtrends!

      Reply
    10. CuteEverything.com says

      January 27, 2012 at 4:58 am

      This looks soo delicious! I love mushrooms, but your other suggestions of layered bean dip or philly cheesesteak have my mouth watering!! The guys will love this!

      Reply
    11. Diana - FreeStyleMama says

      January 27, 2012 at 4:28 am

      WOW! How amazing is this? I have to agree with you on mushrooms. I am still not the biggest fan, but if they are made right I will gobble them up. Thanks for linking up this incredible dish!

      Reply
    Beth Jackson Klosterboer

    Welcome to Hungry Happenings!

    I'm Beth. I've been a professional chocolatier & baker for over 30 years, have written 5 cookbooks, and love creating fun food for holidays and special occasions.

    Read more about me →

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