Cheddar Pear Pie
By Angie Battle
This is the perfect pie for fall, and oh so simple! The sweet, ripe pears sing in the filling, and the savory cheddar streusel on top makes you wish you had more. Try it!
Ingredients for filling:
- 1 9”-pie shell, prebaked (directions below)
- 5 large ripe pears, peeled, pared and sliced about ¼’-thick (my go-to is Bartlett, but you can use any type—just be sure they are at peak ripeness with just a tiny bit of give)
- 1/3 c. granulated sugar
- 1 TBSP + 1 tsp. cornstarch
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
Ingredients for streusel:
- Heaping ½ c shredded medium cheddar cheese (my fave; use what you want)
- 2/3 c. flour
- 6 TBSP butter, melted & cooled
- 1/3 c. granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Directions:
- To prebake your pie crust using my recipe, follow the directions in my All Butter Pie Pastry crust, found here. If you are using a commercially produced pastry, follow those directions—they will cook differently.
- Once the pastry is cooled to touch, prepare the pears (they’ll brown if you do it too early), then toss with the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Layer tightly and evenly in pie shell.
- For the streusel, toss the shredded cheese with the flour, sugar and salt. Once mixed, pour in the cooled butter, and mix thoroughly with a fork.
- Using your fingers, break apart the cheddar mix over the pear filling in small pieces to cover the filling evenly.
- Using foil or a pastry shield, cover the outer edge of the crust to prevent burning, then bake at 350° for an additional hour, or: when the filling is bubbling through the center of the pie, it’s done.
- Let cool for at least one hour, then enjoy!