Recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine
Few vegetables get hated on more than beets. So many of the people in my life seem to abhor them and they really do get a bad rap for tasting like (as some would claim) dirt. They certainly have an earthy vibe, there is no denying that, but over the years I have grown increasingly fond of them and determined to change peoples minds on this root vegetable.
Enter the Beet Galette. Essentially a beet pizza, this dish is savory, cheesy, and damn good. Guaranteed to win over a few haters or at least warrant a taste test from skeptics, this is a must bake in my book.
Ingredients:
16 oz of beets, roasted and sliced into 1/4" thick rounds
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped (dry will work in a pinch)
3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil, plus a little more for brushing
1 round refrigerated pie dough (or do it the hard way - see below*)
AP Flour for dusting
4 oz soft garlic and herb cheese (get yourself some Boursin)
1 small onion, thinly sliced and caramelized to perfection
1 TBSP balsamic
2 TBSP walnuts, chopped
1 TBSP chives, finely chopped
Digression: So I went the hard way and made my own dough based off a galette recipe I love from one of my favorite cookbooks, "Smitten Kitchen", that is so rich and fantastic. I also recommend a similar, simplified version from this Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostata. I made these both at the same time and was amazed by how each of these was equally delicious and nowhere near the same amount of work. But by all means, take the easy way out and buy store bought! The beets can also be purchased fully cooked in most stores and packaged in 8oz portions so feel free to pick up two of those and save the roasting for another night.
Directions:
Start by preheating your trusty oven to 425˚ F and pat your beets dry wit paper towels. Toss those pretty babes in a large bowl with your chopped thyme, roughly a tablespoon of oil and season with a little salt and pepper. Take out your cheese to soften while you work.
Roll out your dough on a floured surface until you have about a 12-13" round. This recipe suggested placing this on an inverted baking sheet but if you have a circular pizza pan that would work too. Evenly spread your cheese over the surface and remember to leave a border of at least 1" so you can easily fold over your crust.
Beautifully shingle your beets over one another until the cheese surface is covered. Start folding in your edges of the dough. They should cover the edges of your shingled beets and will require a few pleats every inch or so to wall in all that goodness.
Once completed you will want to lightly brush the dough with some olive oil and pop that sucker in the oven. Bake until golden brown, or about 25-30 minutes.
5. Caramelize your onions! Honestly, I did this first to get it out of the way and because I was making several things at once. Plus, this always takes longer than expected (but I am also impatient) and requires a little bit of focus so I find it easier to give this more of my undivided attention.
All you have to do is heat about 1 TBSP of oil in a pan over medium heat, add the onion + a little salt, and cook until golden. It will require some tossing around the pan and close monitoring to make sure you aren't scorching those little onion wisps which should take about 15 minutes. At the end, add 1 TBSP of balsamic vinegar and cook about 1 minute until the liquid is absorbed.
(Truly there is nothing more sad than burnt or undercooked onions so take the time to do it right)
6. Top the galette with with the onions, chives and walnuts. Prepare to serve and enjoy! If making this for a crowd as an appetizer, slice into 16ths for thin little wedges, or if this is dinner, cut into quarters and plate with a nice little salad. (The original recipe paired it with some greens on the side and an easy olive oil + balsamic dressing.)
If you still have non-beet-lievers, we recommend this Beet Poke!