adapted from Southern Living
I would give up dessert for an appetizer any day of the week.
I always like to make an appetizer for visitors but I can never think of anything light enough since most of the main dishes I make for company tend to be pretty filling. These Pear, Pancetta and Goat cheese bites are the ticket. They are salty and sweet and savory all in one. And they are ultra simple!
Lining a baking sheet with with aluminum foil first helps make cleanup a lot easier.
And you can recycle the foil when you are done!
I buy a goat cheese log that isn’t already crumbled. The pre-crumbled cheese doesn’t seem as fresh and creamy.When you line these up on a serving platter they look so delicious and are easy to eat in two bites.
PEAR, PANCETTA and GOAT CHEESE BITES
Ingredients:
2 Pears (I used one red and one Bartlett)
14 Slices Pancetta (I asked the butcher to slice them paper thin)
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
Honey
Freshly ground pepper
Instructions and Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and then with a piece of parchment paper. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until crisp like bacon. (This step can be done in advance)
Core the pears with an apple corer. Slice pears into 14 thin slices. The pear slices will be almost the same size as the cooked pancetta.
Remove pancetta from oven and drain on a paper towel lined plate.
Arrange pear slices on a serving tray. Top each pear slice with one piece of pancetta and sprinkle with crumbled cheese. Drizzle with honey and a dash of freshly ground pepper.
Would you rather have an appetizer or dessert?
The Hungry Apple 