There is something about the crispy, juicy pear that tastes like winter comfort food to me. Here are a couple of tasty recipes from the Pear Bureau Northwest. Enjoy!

Bosc Pear Lasagna with Almonds and Brie

4 Bosc USA Pears, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces

2 tablespoons ground anise, divided

4 cups white cream sauce

12 uncooked lasagna sheets

2 pounds ricotta cheese

6 eggs

1 pound Brie cheese, divided

2 ¼ ounces toasted sliced almonds

Salt and white pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 1 tablespoon anise and ½ pound of Brie with cream sauce. Mix ricotta, eggs, remaining anise, and remaining brie. Season to taste. Combine pears with ricotta mixture. Ladle 4 ounces of cream sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 11-inch baking pan. Layer the pan with 4 uncooked lasagna sheets. Top the lasagna with half of the pear and ricotta mixture. Top the pear and ricotta mixture with a third of the sliced almonds. Ladle 8 ounces of cream sauce on top of almonds.

Create a second layer of lasagna, alternating lasagna noodles, pear mixture, almonds, and cream sauce. Layer top of lasagna with final 4 sheets of pasta. Cover with remaining cream sauce (make sure all pasta sheets are covered with sauce). Cover baking dish with lid or aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Top lasagna with remaining almonds and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let lasagna cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Balsamic-Fig Glazed Pear Topped Chicken Breast

4 ounces goat cheese

¾ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon fresh minced garlic

3 USA Pears, cored and cut in half

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 ½ cup dried figs

¾ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup sugar

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mix goat cheese, thyme, and garlic until blended. Place 1 rounded tablespoon goat cheese mixture into center of each pear half. Puree chicken broth, figs, vinegar, and sugar in batches in blender until smooth. Pour into strainer set over bowl. Press liquid (sauce) into bowl and discard solids. Pour half of fig sauce into 13-by-9-by-2-inch pan.

Place chicken breasts over fig sauce in pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place filled pear half cut side down over each chicken breast and drizzle with fig sauce. Cover pan with foil and bake in at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake, basting occasionally, 30 to 40 minutes until chicken breasts reach 160 degrees. Cut chicken and pear in half to serve. Spoon sauce over pear. Garnish with fig and thyme.