Name: Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese, Bacon and Walnuts
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 3 oz. blue cheese, crumbled; 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled; 1/3 c. walnuts, finely chopped; 3 large Bartlett pears; 3 T. honey, divided; 1 c. balsamic vinegar; 3 c. fresh arugula

Pears often sit in the shadow of apples but there’s no reason that they can’t be front and centre of a range of recipes. This roasted pears with blue cheese, bacon and walnuts appetizer is a perfect example where the flavour of the fruit combines with the other ingredients for a simple but delicious starter course or ideal for a small party.

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How to get perfectly soft and juicy pears?

If you’ve ever tried a baked pear recipe before, you know that the baking process can cause them to dry out a bit. But there’s a trick in the recipe that helps to prevent it – coating them with honey!

Drizzle half the honey in the recipe onto the pears after you have cut them and scooped out some of the flesh. Then cook it for 30 minutes to allow the fruit to warm up and be nice and soft without being too dry. You could also use something like a mixture of apple cider and maple syrup if you don’t like honey.

What are the best pears for roasting?

We used Bartlett pears for this recipe but depends on what you can get. Something like Anjou or Bosc pears will also work well because they keep their shape and texture without breaking down while being cooked. But avoid something like Comice pears which are great for a snack but don’t handle being oven cooked very well.

Tips on cooking the bacon

For best results, place the bacon on a plate lined with paper towels. Top with additional paper towels and microwave for approximately 4 minutes, or just until crispy. Actual time will vary by unit, so check after two minutes and adjust the final cook time accordingly.

What you need to make roasted pears with blue cheese, bacon and walnuts

3 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
1/3 c. walnuts, finely chopped
3 large Bartlett pears
3 T. honey, divided
1 c. balsamic vinegar
3 c. fresh arugula

How to make the recipe

Place the top oven rack in the centre position and pre-heat the oven to 400°F.

Combine blue cheese, crispy bacon, and chopped walnuts in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

Cut pears in half from stem to bottom and carefully scoop out seeds and inside flesh with a spoon to create a cavity. Do not cut all the way through to the outside while doing so.

Carefully slice off a small section on the backside, as shown, so the pear halves will sit flat while baking. Place in a baking dish and set aside.

Roughly chop the removed pear flesh and add to the blue cheese mixture. Stir to combine and set aside.

Drizzle the inside of the pears with half the honey and place the baking dish in the preheated oven. Roast for 30 minutes, then remove the baking dish from the oven.

Divide the blue cheese mixture equally between the pear halves and drizzle with the remaining honey. Return the baking dish to the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the blue cheese is completely melted and the pears are fork-tender.

While the pears are roasting, heat the vinegar in a small skillet set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently until the vinegar thickens and is reduced to 1/3 of its original volume, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove baking dish from oven and cool slightly. Divide the arugula between six serving plates and top each with a stuffed pear. Drizzle with the warm balsamic glaze and serve immediately.

Storing the recipe

If for some reason you have leftovers, store the baked pears in the fridge for 3-4 days and gently warm them up in the oven to serve.

Recipe tips

If you don’t like blue cheese, you can try changing it for something else but aim for a strongly flavoured cheese that will hold together and not melt. So something like Greek feta cheese or goats cheese would be the best option.

As a change from walnuts, you could use pecans in the dish. We made something a little like this with pecans and cranberries with cheese and it worked nicely. The flavours would also work well in this recipe.

Yield: 6 portions