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| Sweetened pear halves, stuffed with a cream cheese and whipped cream filling, garnished with a light sprinkling of mild cheddar cheese, and if you're feeling fancy, finished off with a maraschino cherry. |
Pear Salad
This is not so much a recipe, as it is a nostalgic reminder of this delicious holiday side from the past. It's so old school, that some of you my age and older may even remember seeing this at school.
Hardly anybody really thinks about pear salad much anymore, and I'd venture a guess that very few of the younger generation even know anything about it and likely wouldn't be all that receptive to it either.
Even though pear salad is usually associated with the holidays, a time where fresh pears are available, I've only ever known it to be made with canned syrup-sweetened pear halves, though certainly use fresh if you prefer!
I think folks just leaned to the canned ones because of the extra sweetness from the syrup. Frankly, sometimes fresh pears can be a little temperamental to peel and keep them uniformly pretty, and canned pears are certainly softer.
It's one of the strangest combinations of ingredients you'll find, but somehow, like the baked pineapple dish with cheese, it not only works, but it also brings back a lot of fond memories. It's a perfect addition to any holiday table, and especially memorable for us older folks.
You can use whatever filling you like though cottage cheese and a sweetened mayonnaise or salad dressing like Miracle Whip are probably the most authentic.
I like them made with a sweetened cream cheese and whipped cream mixture myself. It's not necessary to drown them in cheddar cheese either. It's mostly there to provide a savory contrast to the sweetness, so just a dash will do it, though it's really a personal preference.
A lot of folks remember these but without the cherry, unless company was coming. C'mon now.... you have to admit, they're kinda cute aren't they?
For more of my fruit salads, pop over to my Pinterest page!
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