Baked Endive and Pears in Blue Cream Sauce

by Dorothy Reinhold on March 2, 2014


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What the heck is Fat Sunday?

Well, Fat Tuesday is the traditional name for the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent. It is aka Mardi Gras (which is French for “Fat Tuesday”), or also Shrove Tuesday.

On Fat Tuesday people feast with richer, fattier foods before the ritual fasting season of Lent, so today our Sunday Supper cooks have shifted it forward two days and made it Fat Sunday. We’re clever like that.

We’re feasting, baby, and to this groaning buffet table I have brought a decadent, elegant Baked Endive and Pears in Blue Cream Sauce.

Pears are traditional with blue cheese, and so this makes perfect sense. Slice the endives in half, slice the pears, tuck them together so they sleep like spoons in the dish, and pour a simple blue cheese sauce over all before a bake in the oven.

Baked Endive and Pears in Blue Cream Sauce | www.ShockinglyDelicious.comThis makes a restaurant-worthy dish that dresses up a plain roast chicken or steak dinner, or wows guests for a dinner party. It’s very impressive!

Recipe: Baked Endive and Pears in Blue Cream Sauce

Summary: Sweet pears and slightly bitter endive bathe in a light blue cheese cream sauce in this elegant, rich side dish.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
  • 3 ounces (85 g) creamy blue cheese, such as Point Reyes Original Blue
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 endives, halved from stem to tip
  • 2 large pears, peeled, cored, halved and cut into thin slices or wedges

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 425F (220C/gas 7). Butter a baking dish (about 10- by 10-inch; any medium baking dish should work).
  2. Make the sauce: Pour cream into a saucepan and turn heat to medium. With your fingers, break apart the blue cheese into the cream. Heat, stirring, just until hot (it’s OK if the chunks of blue don’t entirely smooth out). Take the pan off the heat, stir in 1 tablespoon of the chopped chives, and season with pepper. Set aside.
  3. In the baking dish, arrange the endive, cut-side-up, alternative stem end and tip. Arrange the pears between each endive half. If you have more endive than can fit in one layer, top with the remaining endive halves, cut-side down. Pour on the cream sauce. The endive should not be submerged.Baked Endive and Pears in Blue Cream Sauce | www.ShockinglyDelicious.com
  4. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
  5. Bake for 15 minutes, and then remove foil. Continue baking until the cream sauce has reduced slightly and the tops of the endive are browned, another 20-25 minutes.
  6. Remove from oven and let the dish cool for at least 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle remaining tablespoon of chopped chives over top, and then spoon up and enjoy while still warm. This is also very good cold the next day.
  7. Serves 4-6.

Source

Recipe from “Cowgirl Creamery Cooks,” by Sue Conley and Peggy Smith (2013; Chronicle Books; $35).

Sunday Supper

See this page for all the wonderful #SundaySupper dishes I have made since I joined this group, and links to all the other delicious dishes made by my fellow cooks.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Diet type: Vegetarian
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Culinary tradition: USA (General)
My rating 5 stars:  ★★★★★ 

Today’s Sunday Supper recipes

Sunday Supper badgeThis week our #SundaySupper blogger crew is celebrating Fat Sunday, hosted by Leslie of La Cocina de Leslie. Take a look at our tempting feast!
Cocktails & Other Beverages:

Appetizers:

Main Dishes:

Side Dishes:

Desserts:

Join us around the family table for #SundaySupper 

TwitterBird on SundaySupper

  • Twitter how-to: Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag throughout the day on Twitter to see our recipes. To join the conversation anytime, simply use the #SundaySupper hashtag to share your favorite tips and recipes.
  • Pinterest: Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more recipes and photos.
  • Join: To join the Sunday Supper Movement, sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement.

Disclosure: California Endive Farms sent the endive for recipe testing. 

{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }

Laura March 3, 2014 at 4:34 am

What an amazing sounding side dish. Something tells me this could outshine the main course.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 8:56 am

Laura,
You are RIGHT!

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Melanie March 2, 2014 at 8:39 pm

I’ve been so intrigued to see your recipe since you posted the sneak peek. A must try, for sure!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 8:57 am

Melanie,
Thank you! I do hope you try it!

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Mickele Bragg March 2, 2014 at 8:05 pm

do you think this would translate to an appetizer by serving on crostini?

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Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 8:58 am

Mickele,
I LOVE that idea! Oh yes, please try it that way! I think you might have to slice the endive both vertically AND horizontally, otherwise it might be too big of a piece. Just a thought.

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Jennifer B March 2, 2014 at 4:12 pm

Oh my gosh. When you posted a preview in the forum, I salivated.

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Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 9:00 am

Jennifer,
These flavors just GO together! You must try it.

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The Wimpy Vegetarian March 2, 2014 at 3:05 pm

What a gorgeous photo, Dorothy! And I have a ton of endive that I got in the mail a couple of weeks ago. This is PERFECT for them 🙂

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 9:00 am

Susan/Wimpy,
EXACTLY. The endive “valentine” inspired this!

Reply

Jennifer Miller March 2, 2014 at 1:13 pm

Baked Endive — this looks wonderful! I love how you used Pears and blue cheese — one of the best combinations EVER!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 9:01 am

Jennifer,
Thanks, and you MUST MUST MUST try this if you love pears and blue cheese.

Reply

Betsy @ Desserts Required March 2, 2014 at 1:09 pm

What a fabulous side dish!! I don’t even have to use Mardi Gras as an excuse to make it!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 9:01 am

Betsy,
You’re right. No excuse needed. Make it whenever you like!

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miss messy March 2, 2014 at 12:05 pm

Love blue cheese anything! This looks great! 🙂

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Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 9:02 am

Messy,
Then you are going to LOVE this!

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takeabiteblog March 2, 2014 at 9:26 am

Pears and blue cheese are such an obvious (and amazing) pair, but adding endives?! Genius. I really like the sound of this. Pinned!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 9:03 am

Shaina/Taie a Bite,
Thank you, and yes, please make it!

Reply

Liz March 2, 2014 at 9:10 am

Thank you Dorothy and have a Wonderful Weekend!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 9:04 am

Liz,
You’re welcome! My weekend was a soccer tournament (5 games) out of town. Epic!

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Lizthechef March 2, 2014 at 8:41 am

Lovely – printed and set aside for my next dinner party. I was kind of hoping for a blue sauce 😉 Seriously, this would be delish with roast beef, pork or chicken.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 9:05 am

Liz,
This is PERFECT dinner party food. It is so easy, but so showy.

Reply

Heather // girlichef March 2, 2014 at 8:18 am

So…it’s okay if I eat these as a main dish, right!? Yum.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 9:07 am

Heather,
I did the next day, as leftovers!

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Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers March 2, 2014 at 8:11 am

What a wonderful dish! It looks just delicious!! Simply perfect!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 9:08 am

Jennifer.
Thank you! The beauty of this one is it tastes as good as it looks!

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Family Foodie March 2, 2014 at 7:57 am

What a fabulous side dish! Love the creativity.

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Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 9:08 am

Isabel/Family Foodie,
Thank you!

Reply

Tara March 2, 2014 at 7:45 am

What a unique and stunningly beautiful dish, I love it!!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 9:05 am

Tara,
Thanks! I was hoping people liked the way it looked, sort of all rustic.

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Liz March 2, 2014 at 7:06 am

I’d be happy to smother almost anything in a blue cheese sauce! And with pears and endives sounds divine!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 9:06 am

Liz,
Me too. Blue cheese makes EVERYTHING taste better.

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Nichole C March 2, 2014 at 6:37 am

Oh wow, this looks sooo tasty!

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Renee - Kudos Kitchen March 2, 2014 at 6:32 am

What an interesting recipe. I’ve never heard of baking endive before but love the combo of the pears, blue cheese and cream! Sounds lovely!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 9:09 am

Renee,
I want you to try this. You will be converted by baked endive.

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Marjory @ Dinner-Mom March 2, 2014 at 5:00 am

Wow! This looks amazing! I would not have thought to try this combo…and now I won’t be able to stop thinking about it! Pinning!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 9:09 am

Marjory,
Oh, I do hope you try it. Worh it!

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Manu March 2, 2014 at 3:01 am

Anything with blue cheese has me drool! I am bookmarking this recipe as I love the combo blue cheese and pears and I am very curious to try it together with the endive! YUM!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold March 3, 2014 at 9:10 am

Manu,
If you love the blue cheese/pears combo, this is your dish!

Reply

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