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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.
This 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
- Heat the oven to 425F (220C/gas 7). Butter a baking dish (about 10- by 10-inch; any medium baking dish should work).
- 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.
- 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.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Today’s Sunday Supper recipes
This 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:
- The Hurricane Cocktail Recipe from An Appealing Plan
- The French 75 from Kimchi MOM
- Mardi Gras Long Johns from Kudos Kitchen By Renee
- Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie from Peanut Butter and Peppers
Appetizers:
- Fried Oysters and Remoulade from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
- Shrimp in Mustard Sauce from Noshing With The Nolands
- Sweet Potato Pie Appetizer from MealDiva
- Cajun Crab and Corn Beignets from Delaware Girl Eats
- Pancetta and Mushroom Arancini from Ruffles & Truffles
Main Dishes:
- Creole Shrimp Po Boy Recipe from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
- Chicken and Sausage Gumbo from Supper for a Steal
- Jambalaya from Yours And Mind Are Ours
- Vegan Pizza Waffles from Killer Bunnies, Inc.
- Red Beans and Rice from Cookin’ Mimi
- Baked Catfish Po’Boy from Curious Cuisiniere
- Muffuletta from Casa de Crews
- Bayou Seafood and Andouille Jambalaya from The Weekend Gourmet
- Seafood Gumbo from Take A Bite Out of Boca
- Tarte a L’oignon from The Hand That Rocks The Ladle
- Cajun Rice & Beans from Momma’s Meals
- Creole Celery Root Bisque (with Lobster) from The Wimpy Vegetarian
- Louisiana Roasted Barbecue Shrimp from Food Lust People Love
- Cajun Dirty Rice Bowls from The Dinner-Mom
- New Orleans Fried Chicken from Family Foodie
Side Dishes:
- Baked Endive and Pears in Blue Cream Sauce from Shockingly Delicious
- Okra Creole from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Desserts:
- Banana Creme Pie with Honey Whipped Cream and Pecan Brittle from The Foodie Patootie
- Chocolate Ganache Tart from Melanie Makes
- Banana Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel from Gotta Get Baked
- Delicious Baked Beignets from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- New Orleans Bread Pudding with Caramel and Bourbon Sauce from La Bella Vita Cucina
- Paczki from Cravings of a Lunatic
- Beignets from The Messy Baker
- Eggless Bread Pudding in a Jar from What Smells So Good?
- Mint Julep Bars from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
- Mardi Gras Cupcakes from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Sinful Mexican Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls from La Cocina de Leslie
- Fasnetküchle from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
- Cheesecake Swirl Brownies from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Browned Butter Bacon-Chocolate Chip Cookies from Urban Bakes
- Pecan and Chocolate Pralines from Desserts Required
- Chocolate Raspberry Cake from Clarks Condensed
- Baked Coconut Beignets from Mess Makes Food
- Bomboloni alla Crema from Manu’s Menu
- Strawberry Paczki from Neighborfood
- Blackberry Fritters from girlichef
- Brownie Chocolate Chip Cheesecake from Magnolia Days
- Flourless Chocolate Cake in a Mug from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
- Pecan Bars from Pies and Plots
- “Skinny Tuesday” Bananas Foster Cheesecake Parfaits from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Mocha Pear Cake from Happy Baking Days
- Skinny Baked Beignets from Daily Dish Recipes
Join us around the family table for #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.
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At ShockD, you’ll find scrumptious, tried & true, "scary good" recipes, tips and coaching to make YOU a fabulous home cook! Don't blame me if you need a 12-step program to wean yourself away!
E-mail me: Dorothy.Reinhold@gmail.com
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What an amazing sounding side dish. Something tells me this could outshine the main course.
Laura,
You are RIGHT!
I’ve been so intrigued to see your recipe since you posted the sneak peek. A must try, for sure!
Melanie,
Thank you! I do hope you try it!
do you think this would translate to an appetizer by serving on crostini?
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.
Oh my gosh. When you posted a preview in the forum, I salivated.
Jennifer,
These flavors just GO together! You must try it.
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 🙂
Susan/Wimpy,
EXACTLY. The endive “valentine” inspired this!
Baked Endive — this looks wonderful! I love how you used Pears and blue cheese — one of the best combinations EVER!
Jennifer,
Thanks, and you MUST MUST MUST try this if you love pears and blue cheese.
What a fabulous side dish!! I don’t even have to use Mardi Gras as an excuse to make it!
Betsy,
You’re right. No excuse needed. Make it whenever you like!
Love blue cheese anything! This looks great! 🙂
Messy,
Then you are going to LOVE this!
Pears and blue cheese are such an obvious (and amazing) pair, but adding endives?! Genius. I really like the sound of this. Pinned!
Shaina/Taie a Bite,
Thank you, and yes, please make it!
Thank you Dorothy and have a Wonderful Weekend!
Liz,
You’re welcome! My weekend was a soccer tournament (5 games) out of town. Epic!
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.
Liz,
This is PERFECT dinner party food. It is so easy, but so showy.
So…it’s okay if I eat these as a main dish, right!? Yum.
Heather,
I did the next day, as leftovers!
What a wonderful dish! It looks just delicious!! Simply perfect!
Jennifer.
Thank you! The beauty of this one is it tastes as good as it looks!
What a fabulous side dish! Love the creativity.
Isabel/Family Foodie,
Thank you!
What a unique and stunningly beautiful dish, I love it!!
Tara,
Thanks! I was hoping people liked the way it looked, sort of all rustic.
I’d be happy to smother almost anything in a blue cheese sauce! And with pears and endives sounds divine!
Liz,
Me too. Blue cheese makes EVERYTHING taste better.
Oh wow, this looks sooo tasty!
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!
Renee,
I want you to try this. You will be converted by baked endive.
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!
Marjory,
Oh, I do hope you try it. Worh it!
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!
Manu,
If you love the blue cheese/pears combo, this is your dish!