📌 Onion, Potato and Camembert Tart

Posted 1 May 2026 by: Admin #Recipes

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Total Time

45 minutes

Servings

4 servings

The melted cheese tart is the kind of dish that purists snub and everyone else devours in silence. Candied onions, melting potatoes, Camembert that slumps and oozes between the layers — it’s simple, honest, and more satisfying than many complicated recipes. Forty-five minutes flat.

Final result — The tart comes out of the oven golden and melting, ready to be cut into generous slices.

When it comes out of the oven, the tart has taken on a deep golden hue, almost copper-like on the edges of the pastry. The Camembert has completely melted, forming creamy puddles that are slightly toasted around the edges — just right. The smell filling the kitchen mixes the warm milkiness of the cheese, the natural sugar of caramelized onions, and that hint of nutmeg you can’t see but can certainly smell. Cutting a slice, the blade goes through a crackling crust, then sinks into soft and silky layers.

Why you’ll love this recipe

✓Ready in under an hour : No marinating, no resting time, no specific technique. You can decide to make it at 7:00 PM and be at the table by 7:50 PM.

✓Ingredients you already have : Potatoes, onions, a Camembert, cream, and eggs. No need to run to the supermarket for hard-to-find ingredients.

✓The Camembert does all the work : No béchamel to prepare, no cheese to grate. You place the slices on the tart and the oven takes care of the rest. The result is creamy and very fragrant.

✓It handles improvisation well : Mushrooms at the bottom, thyme on the onions, a bit of Emmental mixed with the Camembert — this tart accepts variations without complaining.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients

Everything you need for this tart: simple ingredients, good Camembert, and you’re off.

Camembert : Choose a well-ripened one, not an industrial Camembert as hard as a brick. It should be soft under your fingers when you press on the box. A cheese that is too young won’t melt properly and will keep a slightly grainy texture. No need to remove the rind — it melts too and brings a stronger flavor.
Potatoes : Waxy varieties: Charlotte or Amandine. they hold up during cooking, keep their slices well-formed, and don’t turn into mash when you handle them. Avoid floury varieties — they crumble and you’ll end up with a mush under the cheese.
Onions : Two large classic yellow onions. Not red onions — they give a weird color once cooked. The key is to sauté them over very low heat for as long as needed until they are translucent and light caramel in color.
Pastry : Puff or shortcrust, both work. Puff pastry gives a lighter, crispier edge. Shortcrust is denser and absorbs the egg-cream mixture better. A store-bought rolled pastry works just fine.
Crème fraîche : Thick, not liquid. Liquid cream creates a mixture that is too runny and doesn’t set well during baking. With thick crème fraîche, the result remains firm and creamy at the same time — the slices hold up when you cut.

Don’t rush the onions

This is the step that makes all the difference. Sliced onions in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil, low heat, and we wait. Really wait — ten minutes minimum. After five minutes, they start to soften and become translucent. At ten minutes, they have taken on a golden color like light caramel and give off a sweet, slightly sugary smell. That is exactly what we want. Onions rushed over high heat burn on the outside and stay raw on the inside — bitter and disappointing. Patience.

Pre-cook the potatoes, it’s non-negotiable

Raw potatoes in a tart just don’t work. In thirty minutes in the oven, they don’t have time to cook completely and you end up with hard slices under the melted cheese. Ten minutes in boiling salted water is enough. They should be just tender — a knife blade should pass through easily without them breaking in half. Drain and let cool slightly. It takes fifteen minutes in total and completely changes the final result.

Assemble in order and bake

Pastry in the pan, pricked at the bottom with a fork to avoid bubbles. Potato slices first, in even layers. The candied onions on top — they slip between the slices, filling the gaps. The Camembert cut into thick slices, distributed over the entire surface. And finally the mixture: eggs and crème fraîche whisked with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg, poured slowly so it penetrates everywhere. Oven at 180°C, thirty minutes. Don’t open it, don’t touch anything.

Wait before cutting — just five minutes

The tart coming out of the oven is boiling and the mixture is still slightly wobbly in the center. If you cut it right away, the slices collapse and the cheese flows everywhere. Five minutes of resting on the counter, and everything firms up. The slices hold, the layers stay visible, and the cheese is no longer liquid but creamy. It’s also more pleasant to eat.

Tips & Tricks

Prick the bottom of the tart with a fork before filling — this prevents the pastry from puffing up and creating empty pockets under the potatoes
Don’t oversalt the egg-cream mixture: Camembert is already salty, and the onions concentrate their flavors as they cook. Taste the mixture before baking
If the top starts to brown too much before the end of cooking, place a sheet of foil over the tart without sealing it — this stops the browning without blocking the heat

Close-up — This melted Camembert between the potato layers is exactly what we’re looking for.

FAQs

Can the tart be prepared in advance?

Yes, it can be prepared very well the day before. Keep it in the refrigerator once cooled, covered with plastic wrap. Reheat for 15 minutes at 160°C in the oven to restore crispiness — the microwave softens the pastry.

Which pastry to choose: puff or shortcrust?

Puff pastry is crispier and airier on the edges, perfect if you like a lot of texture. Shortcrust is denser and absorbs the cream-egg mixture better, resulting in a more compact tart that is easier to slice. Both work very well.

Can I replace Camembert with another cheese?

Absolutely. Brie gives a very similar result, slightly milder. Reblochon brings a more pronounced mountain flavor. You can also mix Camembert and grated Emmental for a more stringy version.

Can the tart be frozen?

It is possible, but the texture changes a bit upon thawing — the pastry loses its crunch and the mixture may slightly separate. If you freeze it, do so before baking: assemble the tart, wrap it, and freeze it raw. Bake directly from the freezer, adding 10 minutes to the cooking time.

My potatoes aren’t cooked after 30 minutes — what’s wrong?

It’s likely because they weren’t pre-cooked or were cut too thick. Slices should be 3-4 mm maximum and spent 10 minutes in boiling water before going into the tart. Without this step, the oven alone doesn’t have time to cook them completely.

What should I serve with this tart to make it a complete meal?

A light green salad with vinaigrette is the ideal accompaniment — it cuts through the richness of the cheese and cream. Raw vegetables (grated carrots, cucumber) also work very well. In winter, a light soup as a starter is enough to complete the meal.