The Award Winning Bacon and Green Onion Breakfast Tart

This is the breakfast tart that I made at the www.justapinch.com cooking showcase. I won the grand prize! I love the smokiness of the bacon and the tanginess of the cheese. The tart sounds fancy but it is super easy to make.

INGREDIENTS:

butter, for greasing the pan, flour for dusting the pan
 1 unroll-and-bake refrigerated 9-inch pie crust
 1 egg white, lightly beaten
 4 oz thick bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
5 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
 1/2 c ( 4 oz) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
 2 c shredded gruyere cheese
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

 MASCARPONE CHEESE SUBSTITUTE:
If you can not find marscarpone cheese at the store here is an easy sub
 4 oz cream cheese room temp ( do not use light or fat free)
1 Tbsp sour cream ( do not use light or fat free)
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS:

1) You can use a 9 in tart pan with a removable base or a 9 in Spring Foam pan.

2) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan.

3) Unroll the pie crust and arrange it in the prepared pan. Gently press the crust into the bottom and sides of the pan. Trim any excess crust from the top of the pan. With the tines of a fork, prick the pastry in several places. Using a pastry brush, coat the crust with the beaten egg white. Put the pan on a baking sheet and bake in the center of the oven until the egg white has set, about 10 minutes. Allow the crust to cool for 10 minutes.

4 ) In a medium skillet, add the chopped bacon and cook, stirring frequently over med-high heat, until brown and crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

5)  In a medium bowl, combine the beaten eggs, mascarpone cheese, Gruyere, green onions, salt, pepper, and bacon. Mix until smooth. Pour the mixture into the cooled crust and bake until the mixture has set and the top is golden, about 18-20 minutes. Cool the tart for 8-10 minutes then remove it from the pan to a serving platter. Cut the tart into wedges and serve warm.

 TIP: If you don't like the smoky taste of bacon, you can substitute it with pancetta.
Also if you like a little kick you can add half a chopped jalapeno pepper to the mix.