40 Insanely Creative Ways to Enjoy Fresh Pears

Pears make for a wonderful gift during the holiday season, so we're not surprised if you're suddenly facing an overload of fresh fruit in your kitchen. There are so many sweet and savory pear recipes to make if you suddenly find yourself with a full load of this fruit, or if you just want to switch up your go-to apple recipes.

Try ‘em poached, sliced into a salad, roasted with root veggies, or paired with juicy pork. Bake pears into pies, crisps, crumbles and cobblers, or add them to your favorite classic cocktails for a splash of sweetness. Ripe pears lend a juicy, refreshing flavor to everything they touch, and each variety (Anjou, Bartlett, Bosc, Comice, Seckel— the list goes on!) offers a different combo of sweet, tangy, mellow and crisp flavor profiles.

Healthy pear recipes, like fruit salad with Greek yogurt and honey, make great breakfasts, while pear matched with peppery greens and juicy steak makes the ideal salad for lunch. Or maybe you’re more of a healthy sandwich person? The gorgeous grilled cheese with sweet pears, creamy Gouda and Dijon mustard in #15 practically brings tears to our eyes. Get ready to experiment with lots (and lots!) of pears this season.