Ree Drummond’s Cheesy Asparagus Tart Is an Easy Spring Appetizer

Ree Drummond’s Cheesy Asparagus Tart is a Pioneer Woman appetizer that might appear fancy but, in reality, is easy to make. The Food Network star uses spring vegetables, two different types of cheese, and a storebought ingredient to make the easy appetizer. 

Ree Drummond’s Cheesy Asparagus Tart is a combination of vegetables and cheese

Drummond’s Cheesy Asparagus Tart is, as the name says, made with cheese and asparagus. However, that’s not all there is to it. The Super Easy cookbook author puts other vegetables in the tart, per her recipe instructions (Food Network has all the details). 

Drummond’s Cheesy Asparagus Tart gets more green from thinly sliced leeks. Fresh thyme adds another green element along with the trimmed and chopped asparagus. As for the cheese, Drummond doesn’t put just one kind in the tart. She uses two including grated fontina cheese and ricotta. 

Mixed with butter and seasoned with salt and pepper, the vegetables and cheese sit on a blanket of storebought pie dough Drummond lays out on a sheet pan. 

How to make the Pioneer Woman asparagus tart

Make Drummond’s Cheesy Asparagus Tart in just over an hour, according to Food Network. Including the resting time, it takes approximately 70 minutes to make. 

The food blogger turned cooking show starts with the leeks. She sautés them in a cast-iron skillet with butter, salt, and pepper. When they’re soft she sets them aside and rolls refrigerated rolled pie dough on a baking sheet, a kitchen tool Drummond can’t live without. Making sure the pieces overlap slightly she trims the edges and uses the pieces to fill in any gaps along the bottom.

Now for assembling Drummond’s Cheesy Asparagus Tart. The Pioneer Woman host puts a layer of fontina cheese followed by leeks and ricotta. Then she sprinkles thyme and asparagus over the top. After a dash of salt and pepper, she carefully folds the edges of the pastry inwards to make a border around the tart.

Next Drummond brushes the edges with an egg wash and bakes it in an oven that’s been preheated to 425 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown. Finally, she lets the tart cool for five minutes before slicing and serving. 

Reviewers love the versatility of Drummond’s asparagus tart 

At the time of writing Drummond’s Cheesy Asparagus Tart has five stars. The recipe’s been reviewed a modest 20 times on Food Network’s website. Those stats don’t qualify it as one of her most popular recipes of 2021 but reviewers love it just the same. 

“The leeks make it special and the fontina and ricotta make it creamy and delicious,” wrote one reviewer. Another said they “try to change it up a little each time,” and no matter what they do “it is always very well received and loved by everyone” whether they’re family or friends.

Among many reviewers, one word kept coming up again and again, easy. “So easy. So good.” wrote one. “Absolutely delicious! And so easy to make,” chimed in another. 

Others praised Drummond’s Cheesy Asparagus Tart for its versatility. One reviewer noted they put diced ham on top to make it a meal before calling the topping possibilities “endless.” Another called the tart “incredibly easy yet impressive” before adding “you could do so many variations with fillings.”