Name: Balsamic Pear & Bleu Cheese Bruschetta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Ingredients: 1 fresh baguette loaf; 2 Bosc pears (cored and thin sliced); 6 ounces crumbled bleu cheese; 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons sugar; Unsalted butter (room temperature)

Welcome to the second annual brunch week hosted by Terri of Love and Confections and Susan of The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen! Join us May 5th through 10th while we celebrate the deliciousness of brunch and to prepare for Mother’s Day and summer brunching season. We have 32 bloggers bringing you their best brunch game, from cocktails to eggs benedict to donuts, there is something for everyone this week. Our amazing sponsors have donated some great prizes for a gigantic giveaway, please visit them all for more information.

Enter the giveaway HERE.

I have a total crush on bruschetta. Maybe that’s why I like working at an Italian restaurant. Every time Mike and I go out, if there’s bruschetta on the menu, I’m getting some. Since I’m almost never without a loaf of French bread or a baguette at home I thought it was high time to bust out my bruschetta skills again for you all. Pears where on sale, I knew I had some bleu cheese at home (YUM!), and balsamic vinegar just sounded like the right thing to marry all these flavors together.

These little babies are packed full of flavor. The cheese is creamy and wonderful. And the tang from the balsamic reduction is just the kick the bruschetta needs. Make a batch, and then make extra. You’ll need them. For those who don’t want to pre-toast their bread, that’s fine. But butter toasted bread gives just that perfect extra crunch and buttery bread is always a good idea. Just sayin’. Don’t be shy. Toast away!

Check out the rest of today’s Brunch Week recipes!

Brunch Beverages:

Prosecco Mojito from Cooking in Stilettos

Brunch Egg Dishes:

Crab Cake Eggs Benedict from Love and Confections
Eggs Benedict from Big Bear’s Wife

Brunch Breads, Grains and Pastry:

Individual bourbon Bacon Bread Pudding from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
Maple Coconut Granola from That Skinny chick Can Bake
Cheese Blintzes with Mixed Berries from It’s Yummi!
Blueberry Scones from Roxana’s Home Baking
Almond Cake from Real Housemoms

Brunch Fruits, Vegetable and Sides:

Orzo Veggie Salad from Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Brunch Desserts:

Fennel-Kissed Lemon Tart with Salted Hazelnut Crust from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Balsamic Pear & Bleu Cheese Bruschetta 4

One Year Ago: Croque Monsieur Strata

Balsamic Pear & Bleu Cheese Bruschetta

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 22 minutes

Author Julie Espy {White Lights on Wednesday}

Ingredients

1 fresh baguette loaf
2 Bosc pears cored and thin sliced
6 ounces crumbled bleu cheese
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
Unsalted butter room temperature

Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Slice off ends of baugette, then cut the rest of the loaf into 1" thick pieces - about 24 pieces. Spread butter over one side of each slice. Place bread, buttered side down, in heated skillet. Cook until golden and edges begin to brown. Repeat as needed until all bread is toasted.
Turn oven broiler on high.
Place toast on a large baking sheet, toasted side up. Top each bread slice with 1 tablespoon of bleu cheese. {You could also use sliced bleu cheese if you like. I just had crumbled.} Place baking sheet in oven and broil until cheese begins to soften and melt a bit. Remove from oven.
While toasts cool, whisk together balsamic and sugar in a medium saucepan. Cool over medium-high heat until simmering. Reduce heat to medium, stirring often. Cook until reduced by 1/3. The reduction will still be on the thin side, but sweetened just enough.
Top each toast in a slice of pear, and drizzle with balsamic reduction.