Cheddar Pear Pie

This recipe comes from Taste of Home in the late nineties, it was a first place winner in their pie contest that year.  I adore pears, and this is one of my favorite pies. I call this my annual pie, because I used to make it once a year and eat it predominantly by myself, all the children thinking cheese and pie were too weird together.  Now I have a few converts. It always comes out of the oven looking so pretty, so it would be a good one to take to a potluck and share.

Cheddar Pear Pie

5 cups peeled, sliced ripe pears

1/3 c. sugar

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/8 tsp. salt

1 unbaked pastry shell, 9 inches

Topping:

1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

In a bowl, combine pears, sugar, cornstarch and salt.  Pour into pastry shell.  Combine topping ingredients until crumbly; sprinkle over filling.  Bake at 425 for 25-35 min. or until crust is golden and cheese is melted.  Cool for 10 min. Serve warm. Store in refrigerator.

Notes:  I have used flour instead of cornstarch as thickening before.  I also like to cut in cold butter or margarine in the topping, as it makes it crumbly.  If you do it as the recipe directs, you get a kind of dough that you must crumble.  It works either way. I also love this pie cold.

Jenny