Goat Cheese & Pear Flatbread (Printable Version)

Crisp flatbread with goat cheese, pears, onions, and spicy honey drizzle

# What You Need:

→ Flatbread Base

01 - 1 large store-bought or homemade flatbread, approximately 10 by 14 inches

→ Cheese & Dairy

02 - 5 ounces goat cheese, softened
03 - 1/4 cup ricotta cheese

→ Fruits

04 - 2 ripe pears, thinly sliced

→ Vegetables

05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

→ Herbs & Garnish

06 - 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
07 - 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, optional

→ Hot Honey

08 - 3 tablespoons honey
09 - 1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot chili flakes or hot sauce, to taste

→ Other

10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
11 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add red onion slices and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until softened and caramelized. Transfer to a plate.
03 - Combine softened goat cheese and ricotta in a mixing bowl. Blend until smooth and spreadable.
04 - Place flatbread on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the cheese mixture evenly across the surface.
05 - Arrange pear slices over the cheese layer. Top with caramelized onions and sprinkle fresh thyme leaves. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
06 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the flatbread is crisp and the edges are golden brown.
07 - While flatbread bakes, gently heat honey with chili flakes or hot sauce in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl for 1 to 2 minutes until warm and infused.
08 - Remove flatbread from oven. Drizzle hot honey generously over the surface. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts if desired. Slice into portions and serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sweet-spicy hot honey is what transforms this from pleasant to crave-worthy, and you'll find yourself drizzling it on everything afterward.
  • It looks like you spent hours in the kitchen when you actually just assembled and baked something straightforward.
  • Works as an appetizer to impress, a light lunch to feel good about, or something to share when friends drop by unexpectedly.
02 -
  • Don't skip caramelizing the onions—raw red onion will taste sharp and raw, but those extra few minutes transform them into something almost sweet that makes the whole dish sing.
  • If your goat cheese and ricotta aren't softened first, you'll spend frustrating minutes trying to spread a lumpy mess; let them sit on the counter for 15 minutes while you prep everything else.
  • The hot honey really does need to be warm when you drizzle it, because cold honey will congeal and refuse to coat anything evenly.
03 -
  • Make your goat cheese and ricotta mixture earlier in the day if you're serving this for company; one less thing to think about when people are on their way.
  • If your pears are very soft, slice them just before assembling so they don't brown or release too much liquid into the cheese layer.
  • The hot honey can be made while the flatbread bakes; don't prepare it too far in advance or it'll cool down and lose its effect.
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