Welcome to Chopped Challenge Thursday, Week Eleven!  I can’t believe it has been almost 3 months since I began this little portion of the blog!  It has been a blast and this week was especially fun because my 87-year-old grandma in Houston, Texas submitted an ingredient into the mix (with a little help from my Mom to post on Facebook)!

Check out Nana this summer with my Mom and I while showing off her backyard garden!

Nana submitted Cinnamon because she said that she heard it has a lot of health benefits! She’s one smart lady because cinnamon does pack a lot of health benefits including lowering bad cholesterol, relieving arthritis pain, stabilizing blood sugar and even eliminating migraine headaches!

The next three ingredients added into the mix were brussels sprouts from Allison Davis, apples from Wendi Garrison and oranges from Cynthia Mitchell.

I already had an Apple Sausage Gorgonzola Tart on my menu for the week so I decided to use the additional ingredients from “Mystery Basket Monday” to turn the Tart into this weeks Chopped Challenge Thursday!

The final result of “Chopped Challenge Thursday” Week Eleven: Caramelized Apple and Onion Tart with Gorgonzola, Sausage and Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

Ingredients (makes 2 tarts – serves 4)

• 1 cup brussels sprouts
• 1/2 cup and 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
• 1/3 cup and 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar (divided)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 red apples (cored and sliced)
• 1 red onion (sliced)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 oranges (juiced)
• 1 roll phyllo dough (app 20 sheets)
• 2 sweet italian sausages (sliced)
• 1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary (chopped)

Start by quartering the brussels sprouts and placing on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, then sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss with the minced garlic.

Place into a 425° oven for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside while preparing the rest of the tart.

Now on to caramelizing the apples and onions. Melt the butter in a large skillet then add the sliced apples.

Cook for 2-3 minutes then add the sliced onions.

Cook until the apples and onions become tender, about 8-10 minutes, then add the brown sugar, cinnamon and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar.

Combine all of the ingredients together and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Set to the side while preparing the orange vinaigrette for the tart.

Whisk the juice of 2 oranges (app 1/3 cup) with 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar.

Now prepare the tart’s crust by brushing this mixture on each sheet of phyllo dough, while stacking the sheets on top of each other.

Place 10 sheets in 2 separate stacks to make 2 tarts.

Fold the edges of the tart in to form the crust, then brush the edges with the orange vinaigrette.

Next begin to assemble the tarts by placing a layer of caramelized apples and onions on the crust.

Next top with the brussels sprouts, then the sausage, gorgonzola cheese and rosemary.

Transfer carefully onto a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 425° for 10-12 minutes (depending on how crisp you want the crust!)

Thank you all for continuing to provide such awesome ingredients and inspiration through “Chopped Challenge Thursdays”, this is another new favorite dish for me!

There are so many components that make up this delectable tart…

the creaminess of the gorgonzola cheese…

the sweetness of the cinnamon apples…

and the savory flavors of the sausage and brussels sprouts!

Now it’s time to dig in!

♣ Vegetarian Option: This recipe is vegetarian when the sausage is eliminated. Replace the butter with olive oil and eliminate the cheese  to make this recipe vegan.

♦ Gluten Free Option: Foodista has a recipe for gluten-free phyllo dough here or replace the crust completely with my cauliflower based Gluten Free Pizza Crust.

• Chopped Challenge