Blue Cheese and Brie Quesadillas with a Pear and Brown Sugar Compote

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pound cooking pears, such as Bartlett, cored, quartered and small diced
• Pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water

For the quesadillas:

• 1/2 pound blue cheese, crumbled (recommended: Maytag Farms Blue Cheese)
• 1/2 pound Brie, thinly sliced
• 16 small flour tortillas
• Vegetable oil, for pan frying

For the walnuts:

• 1 cup walnut pieces
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar, combined

Directions

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar and cinnamon, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the pears and salt. Mix well. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the pears and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

Place 1/2-ounce of the blue cheese and 1/2-ounce of the Brie over half of each tortilla. Fold the tortillas over and press firmly. In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add a few of the quesadillas and pan-fry for a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown and the cheese is melted, making sure not to crowd the pan. Pan-fry the rest of the quesadillas in small batches.

Fry the walnuts for 1 minute. Remove and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Drain on paper towels. Slice the quesadillas in half and serve with the pear compote and walnuts.