Caramelized Onion, Cabbage and Fennel Crostada with Apples

This recipe was created for and originally shared on the Hamilton Beach Blog, Everyday Good Thinking.

What the what is a crostada? That’s what my husband asked, anyway, when I pulled this out of the oven. The long answer is: a crostada is a fancy name for a rustic tart- a free form pie if you will. In this case, the crostada is mostly savory with a wee bit of sweet. The crust is heavenly- flakey, buttery, savory and such a nice earthy flavor from the fresh thyme. The filling is caramelized onions, fennel, cabbage and apples and it’s all finished off with a healthy does of shredded cheese. The short answer is: a crostada is the bomb.

All I want to do is curl up on the couch and watch Hallmark movies (don’t tell me you don’t know which ones I’m talking about) with a big bowl of popcorn and snuggle with my boys. I want to sleep in, snowboard in the mornings and bake holiday cookies in the afternoon with my kiddos. Not to mention that I’d be the happiest woman in the world if I could hang in sweatpants and fuzzy socks everyday. I want to throw all responsibilities out the window and just be for the next week or so. Who’s with me? Can’t we declare some sort of work during the holidays mutiny and make this happen?

I read a couple posts on Facebook this weekend of parents who are going crazy with their kids home over the long break. I’m not judging, I promise. (I’ve SO been there) but after reading that, I couldn’t help but feel stoked that I don’t fall into that camp this holiday break. And it only strengthened my desire to turn my head at work and the trillion holiday commitments that seem to pop up this time of year. It’s all the other stuff going on this time of year + trying to entertain the kiddos that gets us mamas crazy. So once again, all I want to do is bring on the leisure ware, big bowl of vegetarian chili and watch a marathon of Elf! (After a few runs on the mountain or a nice hike that is!)

But throwing ALL responsibilities out the window isn’t feasible, is it? As much as this Mountain Mama can dream about it, it’s not going to happen. So instead of making myself crazy over the next few weeks with work and personal commitments, I’m saying no to a lot of things. It’s all about creating a balance that works for you. Some work, some play and always fuzzy socks + popcorn. I know the holidays are like right smack dab in front of us but if you can swing it, slow down and step back.

This crostada is so unbelievably delicious. It might seem intimidating to make but really it’s quite simple. And crostada’s are meant to be rustic so it’s all good if your crust doesn’t come out all even and super pretty. This would be perfectly at home on a holiday brunch or breakfast buffet and it makes a simple supper with a side of mixed greens. All the filling ingredients are seasonal and work so well together. You can get the recipe HERE where I’m sharing it on the Hamilton Beach Blog, Everyday Good Thinking.

Have a great week, everyone and enjoy the time off! xo, Kelley