Welcome everyone to the new and improved Country Cleaver! I hope you enjoy the new digs and more user friendly site.

The last year and a half of writing Wanna Be A Country Cleaver has been completely transformative. Not only have I expanded my horizons in the kitchen and beyond, but it has opened the doors to a welcoming community with absolutely wonderful people.

So, hopefully you will enjoy this transformation and continue on this little cooking adventure with me. Every burnt pastry and undercooked chicken mishap along the way.

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To start this new site of right, I wanted to whip up a new appetizer just in time for the holidays featuring a quintessentially Northwest product – Beecher’s Cheese. If you haven’t ever heard of Beecher’s, that’s okay I won’t totally judge you. Maybe just a tad. But if you have heard of them you can appreciate the artistry of their product line and revel in all of the aged cheesy glory. Beecher’s has been featured in several publications, won armfuls of notable awards and was even featured on Oprah’s Favorite Things. Oprah. If Oprah likes it, you know it has to be good. And it is.

Lately, I have been seeing asparagus and pear pairing in salads. There has to be some merit to this flavor combo and I wanted to investigate it myself. So what could be better than tossing a few bites of pear and asparagus with Beecher’s Flagship cheese and wrapping it in puff pastry? Nothing.

Below is the printable recipe with your long list of seven whole ingredients. Seven. Not so intimidating now is it?

Now, get crackin’ and whip out a batch of these for your holiday festivities. They’re sure to be a hit.

 

Print
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Overhead view of Beecher's Flagship, Asparagus and Pear Bites on a plate

Beecher’s Flagship, Asparagus and Pear Bites

  • Author: Country Cleaver
  • Prep Time: 35 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 18 1x
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

Bites of Beecher’s Cheese, asparagus and pear wrapped in puff pastry.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 sheet Puff Pastry
  • 8 stalks Asparagus, trimmed and halved
  • 3 oz. Beecher’s Flagship Cheese
  • 1/2 Bartlett Pear, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 1 egg, for wash
  • Ground Pepper

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Layer non-stick pan with parchment paper.
  2. Roll out puff pastry on a floured surface. Using knife, slice into elongated diamond shapes.
  3. Lay 2-3 pieces of asparagus onto puff pastry “hamburger-style” so the longer edges of the puff pastry can be folded over later.
  4. Top asparagus with crumbles of Beecher’s cheese and 1 slice of pear. Season with a dash of ground pepper.
  5. Fold elongated corners of puff pastry over the cheese, pear and asparagus. It’s okay if the asparagus and pear are sticking out.
  6. Using a pastry brush, brush on some egg that has been beaten with a fork. Bake bites for 15 minutes. Serve while still warm.