With a busy and active family and a degree in Nutrition, Lindsay Cotter is no stranger to using real whole foods to feed all the people in her life! No matter your dietary needs or lifestyle, Lindsay has recipes on her website, Cotter Crunch that will satisfy your cravings, hunger and needs! Her gluten-free recipes are fresh and flavourful and we can’t wait to share with you.
Baking pears gives them a sweet touch, and with vegan and gluten free stuffing inside, it makes for a beautiful presentation! Not to mention, nearly everyone is familiar with baked apples or stuffed baked apples, but using pears makes this such a unique idea! If you plan to have a small Thanksgiving gathering, this is a perfect idea, because everyone can have an individual pear.
I mean, anyone can make traditional Thanksgiving stuffing and bake it in a casserole dish, right? But sometimes, it becomes soggy after it sits in the casserole dish for a while. Baking a smaller portion into each piece of fruit keeps the stuffing perfectly moist. I know what you’re thinking – this looks complicated. Well, it’s actually the opposite. It’s simple and resourceful and just plain delicious!
step 01
Preheat oven to 350°F. Dice the bread into small cubes and place on a baking sheet.
step 02
Bake bread for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through cook time. Remove from oven and set aside in a large bowl.
step 03
Add butter to a pan and turn heat to medium. Add onion, celery, and garlic; sauté for 5 minutes, or until fragrant and onions are translucent.
step 04
Add in the thyme and rosemary and cook for an additional 3 minutes. If using fresh cranberries, add them as well.
step 05
Place toasted bread in the pan with cooked celery onion herb mixture. Pour the vegetable stock on top, being careful not to over saturate the bread.
step 06
Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
step 07
Next, slice pears in half. Using a paring knife, cut a circle in the middle of the core. Scoop out 2-3 tbsp of pear from each half, leaving a hole approximately 1/4 cup in size. Place pear halves in a large casserole dish or on a baking sheet.
step 08
Add 1 tsp lemon juice to the center of each pear, then fill each pear with 1/4 cup of gluten free stuffing. NOTE: You might have extra.
step 09
Season with salt and pepper, then bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking time.
step 10
Remove baked pears with stuffing from the oven and garnish with fresh herbs and/or optional crushed candied nuts
NOTE – depending on what type of pear you use (red pear vs Bartlett) the cooking times will vary. Red pears take 3-4 minutes longer to cook than green Bartlett.