This is an old family recipe that we've been serving for over 100 years. Although you can use mayo, the "old time" version requires you to make a 1/2 mayo 1/2 cream cheese mixture. I know it sounds quite odd, but it is soooo yummy! We serve it on a large lettuce leaf. The colors are amazing and it makes a nice presentation.
I've eaten this all my life so it seems normal to me but I guess I can understand how some people might find it odd. Those people need to be braver. This is fantastic: the sweet pears the rich mayo the sharp cheese... unreal! Serve it with a little of the pear syrup poured over the top; the syrup combines with the mayo into pure deliciousness.
I am from FL. I have never heard of something like this before. WOW. It's great! I love it! Very weird but very good!
My Ex-Mother-in-law made this. She was from North Carolina, and apparently it was an old family recipe. I think you had to be exposed to this stuff at a young age to like it. I always thought it was gross. I would scrape off the mayo, and eat the pear.
I grew up on this recipe as did my Mom and her Mom. People look at me like I am crazy when they see me eating it but it is sooo good. Reminds me of my childhood.
Great little fruit side salad. I remember now that this used to be really popular in the 60's-70's. It's as good now as it was then. I don't like mayo so I cut it with half cream cheese in a compromise. I didn't have cherries since we'd used them for sundaes and I'd completely forgotten so I used some cinnamon candies instead for the top. My mom always used canned pears but I used fresh and this was so much better! Thanks for a great way to fix pears. This is good.
I was going to submit this too! This may sound disgusting but it will surprise you how good it is! In my family it goes back to at least my great-grandmother. I'm going to try it sometime with the Cream Cheese!
This was fabulous. My mother used to make these. There is just something wonderful about the taste of all the ingredients mixed together. Perfect. And don't do like the one rater said and scrap off the cheese and mayo and just eat the pear. She said it "sounded" gross. Obviously she didnt even taste it. Thanks for reminding me of this simple yet delicious dish.
I grew up eating Pear Salad too!!! We still have them at our family reunion every year and for special occasions. It does sound strange but don't knock it til you try it. I think you really do have to grow up eating it to really appreciate it. I don't even like pears - this is the only way I will eat them. So simple and so delicious!!!
