Baked pears with chevre and bacon jam | Recipe of the Week
Published 8:00 am Saturday, September 20, 2025
Chèvre (pronounced “shev-ruh”) is the French word for goat and a term for any cheese made from goat’s milk. While it often refers to a soft, fresh, tangy cheese, chèvre can also describe aged, firm, and crumbly varieties with earthy flavors. Chèvre is highly versatile, used in dishes like salads, pasta, and on crackers or bread, and is a popular choice for those who are lactose intolerant due to its lower lactic acid content compared to cow’s milk cheese.
Ingredients
20 oz. center cut sliced bacon
2 medium sweet onions diced (4 cups) (Amador Farms)
1/2 cup bourbon
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey (Novo Honey LLC)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp each salt and black pepper
4 to 5 small pears (Diefenbach Farms)
5 oz. chevre goat cheese
Makes 2 cups jam
Directions
1. Make bacon jam ahead of time. Jam can be made 1 to 2 days in advance as it takes about 2 hours to cook. Cut bacon into small pieces, about 1/2 inch squares. In a large skillet, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Remove cooked bacon with a slotted spoon onto paper towels. Reserve 1 to 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings.
2. Add reserved bacon drippings to the same large skillet that the bacon was cooked in. Add 4 cups chopped onions to skillet. Cook about 40 to 60 minutes on medium low heat or until onions are golden brown stirring and scraping sides of skillet every 7 to 10 minutes.
3. Add bourbon to onion. Bring to a rolling boil and cook 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium. Add balsamic vinegar, honey, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and has reached desired consistency. This process will take about 60 minutes.
4. Once jam is done set aside. There will be more than enough jam for this recipe. Keep unused portion in the refrigerator.
5. Cut pears half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon or melon baller. Cut a thin slice of pear from the back of each half resulting in the pear half sitting flat with core side up.
6. Prepare cookie sheet, by spraying with cooking spray. Place each pear half on cookie sheet with core side up. Take a tablespoon of chevre and place in each cored hole. Gently flatten down with a spoon. Add 1 to 1/2 tablespoon of bacon jam on top of chevre. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
7. Cool 10 minutes before serving.
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Federal Way resident Vickie Chynoweth published a cookbook called “Well Fed: Easy-to-Follow Recipes.”
