Some friends and I used to try and have dinner together once every two weeks. “Once every two weeks” turned into once every one or two months–if we’re diligent and lucky. Nowadays, it seems like it’s closer to once a year. Between big people jobs, significant others, dogs, houses, and babies; it’s just hard to make it happen. But we try. We all three know we’re happier in our lives after one of our dinner-and-a-movie nights where we can share our stories, frustrations, victories, and lessons. And because these dinners often get few and far between, we always like to make them special. That’s where these Pear, Prosciutto, and Blue Cheese Appetizers started.
Pear, Proscuitto, and Blue Cheese: Perfect for Parties!
Because we like to make these dinners a bit more involved food-wise, they’re a great place for me to test recipes for you all. One night, I struggled to find a good appetizer to bring to our dinner. I just wasn’t feeling it. While at the store on the way (yes, guys, sorry… I wasn’t very prepared… Though still earlier than either of you!) I saw the first pears of the season. While I know it’s generally pretty stupid to buy pears and try and eat them right away, I was reminded of a great appetizer one of my “other moms” makes with pears and similar flavors. It’s a total hit every time she brings it to a dinner, so I figured I’d take the chance.
Well, nothing short of miraculously, those pears were stellar. Crisp, but still juicy, with a limey-green color, and full of flavor. There aren’t many times I get a “rave” out of these two friends. They’re just as picky as I am, and their palates are notably developed. But this was a rave. We didn’t even have any leftovers to share with any of our respective significant others.
The stoutness of the blue cheese, the salt of the prosciutto, and the crisp lightness of the pear–it all comes together into a perfect balance of a bite. What could make it better? The tiniest dribble of raw honey on the top will seriously make your taste buds sing. Between the three of us, the whole tray was gone: a whole package of prosciutto, almost an entire wedge of good blue cheese, and a whole bag of Milton’s Gluten Free Multi Grain Crackers. And this was before dinner! Lol.
Of course, a huge factor in whether these will make your taste buds “sing” is the pears. They have to be perfect. They can be a liiiiiiiittle under-ripe (so long as there’s still some juice and flavor), but over-ripe will kill the whole vibe. I promise. Other than that, I now keep these ingredients in my house almost all the time in case of last-second guests. They’re that easy to throw together, and I’ve never had a complaint.
So if you’re looking for a great appetizer to wow a picky crowd with very little effort, try these! I have a feeling your picky crowd won’t be disappointed.
Happy Cooking!
- 5 oz. Prosciutto
- 8 oz. Wedge Good Blue Cheese
- 3 Medium Pears
- 1 Package Milton's Gluten Free Multi-Grain Crackers (or whatever your favorite crackers are)
- Drizzle of Raw, Organic Honey
- Tear the Prosciutto into bite sized pieces.
- Crumble or Slice the Blue Cheese.
- Thinly Slice the Pears.
- Assemble the bites on top of the Crackers. ***I find doing the Prosciutto first and the Pear last seems to be the best way to keep them from toppling over.
- Drizzle Honey over entire tray just before serving.
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