Back in the day before I had diabetes and knew about things like blood sugar and carbohydrates, I always wondered why we needed to have crackers or some type of bread with our cheese.
Why would you want to waste valuable stomach space on bland old crackers when there was cheese to enjoy?
These days I still love my cheese and enjoy it with wild abandon without any crackers muscling their way in.
On Saturdays I usually have some type of cheese plate with pears and nuts and pickles for my lunch. I love Saturdays.
The idea of using sliced pear (I like them still a little crunchy) with cheese works equally well as a little after dinner treat. So I thought I’d write up a recipe to use as the dessert option occasionally in my weekly Simple Meal Plans.
And crisp apples are great here as well.
Cheese & Pear 'Crackers'
Ingredients
- 1 pear
- 2-3 hunks of cheese
- 1 handful roast nuts optional
Instructions
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Slice pear into quarters lengthwise. Cut out the seeds by using your knife to cut a little triangular wedge out of each quarter. Slice the quarters into thin 'cracker' pieces.
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Arrange your pear crackers on a serving board along with the cheese and nuts. Enjoy with abandon.
Variations & Substitutions for Cheese & Pear ‘Crackers’
pantry-friendly – use hard cheese with a longer shelf life or packaged cheese like goats cheese or feta which has a long shelf life.
dairy-free – pears are amazing with nut butter instead.
more substantial (carb lovers) – serve with fresh bread and butter or crackers.
more substantial (low carb) – turn it into a meal by adding pickles, boiled egg, prosciutto or salami. I also like to add some sauerkraut and a green salad. And some pate.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
pears – will keep for a few weeks (depending on how ripe they are) in a plastic bag in the fridge. For longer storage just pop them in the freezer to defrost and cook later.
hard cheese – most hard and melting cheeses will keep for weeks wrapped in waxed paper or baking paper and stored in an airtight container (or sealed ziplock bag) in the fridge. If you need to store for longer cheese can be frozen.
soft cheese – if unopened it usually has a shelf life of a few weeks in the fridge. If it is opened, will only keep for a few days so use for another meal or freeze.
nuts – keep them in the pantry.
Prepare Ahead
No. The pear and cheese are best when freshly sliced.
More Quick Sweet Treats like Cheese & Pear ‘Crackers’
- Creamy Not-Rice Pudding
- 10-Minute Maple Pecan Cheesecake
- Little Lemon Delicious Puddings (low carb)lemon almond butter
- Quick Raspberry Yoghurt Mousse
- Quick Strawberry Muffins
With love
Jules x
When I was a kid in the 80’s-90’s mum would slice up apple and cheese as a snack – it’s still a favourite of mine!