Cheese Plate with Pears, Prosciutto and Brie

Cheese Plate with Pears, Prosciutto and Brie! This holiday cheese plate or snack plate is so delicious! Make this as an appetizer before your next holiday family meal or gathering or make this for yourself to munch on! It’s so good! 

Friends, the holidays are right around the corner. I have family coming into town for Thanksgiving and this year, for the first time, we’ll be spending Christmas in Los Angeles at my brother’s house. This will be the first holidays without my father so we wanted to get my mother out of Dallas and do something different.

The holidays were always a very special time for my family and I. We have all lived in different states for as long as I can remember and so that’s why the holidays were so special. We would only gather together, all of us, maybe 2 to 3 times a year. My family and I love eating. We get that trait from my father. He loved cooking, eating all kinds of foods, having a huge spread of food and trying new foods.

This year, we will gather, celebrate and enjoy our time together as best as we can. I’m sure it will be very sad for everyone, especially my mother. But we will just do our best. I’m not cooking for Thanksgiving this year. We will be going out to dinner and I will actually cook on Friday. The first holiday season without my dad and we decided to make some new traditions and just enjoy our time together. 

Pear, Prosciutto, Brie and Hot Honey Appetizer

My dad would have loved this plate of food. He loved it when I cooked for him or when I brought him a plate of food. We also would always have a box of chocolates, or peppermint bark or popcorn and nuts. We’d just have snacks all over the house.

Lately, I’ve definitely been into tasty bites and pairing cheese with pears. Most of you know, pears are one of my favorite fruits this time of the year. Add some prosciutto and something spicy and man, you’ve got something incredible. These bites literally give you everything: creamy, salty, spicy, sweet and tangy/funky (from the brie). 

Set everything out on a plate or platter with everything cut up and have everyone assemble his/her own appetizer. Try this and let me know what you think!

Print Recipe

Cheese Plate with Pears, Prosciutto and Brie

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer

Keyword: cheese plate

Servings: 6

Author: hipfoodiemom

1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 small to medium sized ripe red pears or apples Red Bartlett, Red d'Anjou, and Starkrimson, or any pear variety; skin on sliced
• 1 wedge or wheel French brie sliced
• 1 wedge smoked cheddar cheese sliced
• 1 wedge gouda sliced or cubed
• 1 bunch red grapes
• crackers I love Raincoast crisps or any flatbread crackers*
• prosciutto or salami or both
• candied pecans or marcona almonds
• pepper jelly**
• hot honey***

Instructions

• Arrange everything on a large plate or platter. I like to break things up into 2 or 3 sections, depending on how much food you have. For example, I'll place sliced pears in 3 different sections/places on the plate or platter.
• Think about color (don't place food items that are the same color next to each other) if possible. Include small plates, napkins, utensils/little forks and spoons next to the plate or platter. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

The art of charcuterie and cheese boards originated in France. The word "charcuterie" comes from the French words chair, which means "flesh," and cuit, which means "cooked". The French pioneered the modern version of charcuterie, which uses salt, herbs, and spices to preserve meat. 

In Europe, charcuterie boards typically include cured meats, cheeses, and crackers or bread. In North America, charcuterie boards often include cheese, fruit, and a small amount of meat.

*I love Raincoast Crisps. I'm using the Pumpkin Spice crackers here. I also love the 365 brand from Whole Foods Flatbread Sea Salt crackers. When looking for crackers for a cheese board, I look for flavor, texture, shape and color. 

**I'm using the brand: "Preservation Society" Pepper Jelly

***I'm using this hot honey