Brunch Boards

 

 

Do you ever crave the ease of a charcuterie board, but were tasked with making brunch for your spring holiday gathering? Well, we have a solution for you: brunch boards! And with the addition of pears to complement so many other ingredients, these are sure to be a hit and impress all your family and friends.

Step 1: The Board

The basis of them is easy: Start with a board (or large plate, or piece of marble, or just lay some parchment paper on your table, we don’t judge here). Really any large surface you have on hand will be perfectly fine.

Step 2: Fill the Board!

Here you can be creative and fill it with your favorite brunch foods! Obviously, you need to have pears and some cheese. Here are our favorite PEAR-ings:

Anjou + Chevre

This goat cheese is mild with a soft texture, and tangy finish. It’s perfect because it’ll complement the sweet and fragrant Anjou without overpowering it. And if you want a seamless way to combine them, check out our mini chevre cheesecakes for a sweet addition.

Bosc + Cheddar

Since Bosc pears are denser with a spicy-sweet flavor, they’ll hold up perfectly against the cheddar’s firmness and nutty flavor.

Bartlett + Mascarpone

This rich and spreadable cheese has a beautiful buttery texture that is sure to pair perfectly with the juicy Bartlett.

Did you know bacon and pears also go exceptionally well together? The salty crispiness of bacon is a great contrast to a juicy pear and brings out the sweetness of the fruit!

Make your board stand out! Height in a brunch board can make the presentation much more interesting. Some of our recommendations are to place your bacon in a jar or other container so it stands upright, or using skewers of a slice of pear, some cheese, and a berry to add some dimension.

Do you have a mini waffle maker? You can make delicious brunch board sandwiches with the mini waffles, a little scoop of mascarpone, a slice of pear (we love Bartletts or Anjous for this!), topped with some bacon! Only have a full size waffle iron? You can also cut the waffles into fourths to make these tasty little sandwiches.

Another one of our favorite recipes are these pear and leek mini quiches! You can adapt this recipe here by using a mini muffin tin, baking the crust for 5 minutes, and adding the filling to bake for another 15 minutes! Don’t have the time or want the hassle of making your own crust? Pillsbury crust works perfectly! They come in pre-rolled sheets that you can easily cut with a knife (or a large mason jar lid!) into circles to fit in your muffin tin.

Once you have the larger items laid out on your board, you can add some berries for filler, small cups of syrup, mini chocolate chips, or peanut butter for toppings, and any of your other favorite brunch finger foods! The easiest part of this spread, is you can tailor it to exactly what you are looking for.

Here are some recommendations for the pear-fect board:

  • Pear and leek mini quiches
  • Mini waffle sandwiches
  • Mini waffles with topping additions
  • Pear and chevre mini cheesecakes
  • Crispy bacon
  • Fresh strawberries and blueberries
  • Cheddar, bosc, and blueberry skewers

 

Check out our online library of recipes for any occasion here.