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This. Oh my goodness, this pear salad! I’m not sure who in the world ever came up with this fabulous combination, but I sure wish I could give them a hug!

Pear Salad Recipe | addapinch.com
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I grew up with this family favorite appearing for Sunday lunches after church or suppers at my Grandparents’ house. It always had a place for any holiday or special celebratory meal, too.

Pear Salad Recipe | addapinch.com

{Hi! See my reflection in my dish? I’m the dorky one with the camera, in case your wondering…. Heh!}

When Grandmother served this pear salad, she’d always make a separate tray with some without the cherries on top for my cousin. You see, she wasn’t quiet as thrilled with cherries on top of her pear salad as I was. I loved them, she didn’t.

Pear Salad Recipe | addapinch.com

So, Grandmother would also let me eat the extra little cherries. She’d add them to a small bowl or when wanted to make something even extra special, she’d skewer a few onto a toothpick for me. Those little toothpick skewers of cherries became my absolute favorites!

Now, as a nod to sweet Grandmother’s who let you have more than one cherry for your pear salad, or who skewer cherries for your plate, I feel like I have to do the same.

I think it would only make her proud.

Pear Salad Recipe | addapinch.com

So, if you need a fun little side for a meal soon, give this pear salad, that really isn’t a salad, a try.

Pear Salad Recipe | addapinch.com

But don’t forget the skewer of cherries.

Here’s the recipe for this pear salad.

4.50 from 2 votes

Pear Salad Recipe

Salad — 5 mins

Prep Time 5 mins
Servings 6
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Author Robyn Stone | Add a Pinch
This pear salad recipe is a long-standing family favorite recipe for special occasions, reunions, and family meals! Pear halves topped with mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, and a maraschino cherry!

Ingredients  

  • 1 29-ounce can light pear halves
  • 4 teaspoons mayonnaise divided
  • 4 ounces grated cheddar cheese
  • maraschino cherries

Instructions 

  • Remove pear halves from can, taking care to drain away as much liquid from pears as possible. Place pears onto a serving platter.
  • Top each pear half with a bit of mayonnaise, then grated cheddar cheese, and top with a maraschino cherry.
  • Serve cold.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 23mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 1mg

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Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Simple Recipes

Robyn Stone

Robyn Stone is a wife, mom, blogger, recipe developer, and cookbook author. Welcome to Add a Pinch where I share thousands of delicious, tested and perfected easy recipes that the whole family will love.

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Recipe Review




Comments

  1. Anything is better with cheese!! Have to try this!! I was/am the kid who always wanted the cooked fruit off the ham….cherries and pineapple!!

  2. My elementary school cafeteria always served this salad but I have never had it with cherries. Will give it a try. Thanks for the reminder!

  3. Wow…..never thought to use pears. We made this with pinapple slices, but I think I prefer the pears. Adding lots of cherries!! Yummy-Yum-Yum! Thanks for this recipe. Happy Blessed Easter to you & yours!

  4. Oh, the memories! I was married at age 19, and this is one of the special salads my mother-in-law often served at her dinner table, oh, so many years ago! I’m 56 now, and wishing I could be a grandma — you’ve reminded me of something I’d forgotten, so, Robin, I thank you! I will pin this on my Grandkids board and do this for my grandchildren one day and make special memories for them — cherries included!!

  5. I think this is the first time ever that I’m stumped on whether or not I want to try a recipe. The thought of mayo with pears sounds kinda ick… and I’m not a fan of maraschino cherries unless I dip them myself in chocolate… and yet I am INTRIGUED. And I trust your taste for yumminess!

    So I will have to try these… maybe tomorrow! 🙂

    1. HA! I hope you love it as much as we do. It is certainly a staple side dish in my family since I can remember. The combinations of sweet, salty, tart, and the cheese is really perfect together.

    2. 4 stars
      I had this when I was a teen at a friend’s house. It sounded gross, but after I tasted it, I loved it! I hadn’t thought of it again until seeing this recipe. I will make this for my kids soon!

  6. This has been a favorite in my family since I can remember! My mother preferred pineapple slices and she did place it on an iceberg lettuce leaf. I serve either fruit except I use healthier Romaine leaves. We omit the cherry and use ONLY Hellman’s full -fat mayo. Reduced or fat free tastes terrible in our opinion. I believe this salad originated in the 1940’s. We love it with pork or chicken!

  7. 5 stars
    I grew up eating this. It was one of the things Daddy would make when he cooked (which wasn’t often). I made it tonight for my family and my husband looked at me weird. I told him to google it. He was very surprised it’s an actual thing! Hahaha! Glad I made it tonight – brings back great memories of my Daddy.

  8. This looks really good. I’m a big fan of pears as it is, but this is icing on the cake.
    Does it taste the same if you use light mayonaise?

  9. I never understood things like this referred to as a salad. Growing up salads were always leafy green things with veggies and dressing, or chopped up stuff swimming in mayo (potato, ham, eggs, etc.), and I had a friend whose grandmother would always serve something like this as a salad course whe. I had dinner at her house. I was always so confused.