The night that we decorate our Christmas tree is always the most fun. The house is filled with that amazing Christmas-y tree smell, candles burning, Love Actually OR Christmas Vacation OR Home Alone playing in the background, something cooking in the oven, and the red wine is flowing!
I always like to put the tree up right after Thanksgiving. I mean the literal day after. The second the turkey has digested I feel completely guilt-free to crank Santa Baby as loud as possible on the radio. In Thomas’ family they put the tree up the week of Christmas. Since his parents owned cafés and the holiday season was always very busy for them, it became a fun tradition for the family to decorate their tree together on the 23rd. And I get it, it makes the anticipation build even more for Christmas, but I’m happy to say we’ve found a happy medium and the tree comes up in our house, err two days after Thanksgiving now 😉
Wines that I love with baked brie
Good wine is always a must when eating brie amaright?! Some of my favorites are:
Dry Rosé – Who says you only have to drink rosé in the summer!
Pinot Noir – I love a fruitier juicy pinot noir with brie! Thank you Union Wine Co. for sending me the cutest cans of Underwood Pino Noir!
Chardonnay – The oakier the better during the winter!
Champagne – Because it’s the holidays, duh!
Whether you’re spending a cozy night at home putting up your tree, a friendsmas feast with your best pals, or a holiday party with your fam, baked brie is always a hit. Who doesn’t love dipping warm crusty bread in oozing cheese?! Sorry I just said oozing… but it’s totally appropriate when it comes to delicious molten cheese lava like this. My favorite version is with caramelized onions, pears, honey glazed walnuts, and a smattering of pomegranate seeds because ya gotta be festive.
Some of my other favorite Brie toppings are:
Baked blackberries + rosemary
Sundried tomatoes + basil
Cranberries + Pecans + maple syrup
How to make Baked Brie
1. Cut off top rind of brie with a sharp knife (it’s okay if you can’t get the rind off in one piece; brie will smooth out as it bakes).
2. Bake until cheese is melted, 15–20 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest to firm up slightly, about 5 minutes (if you skip this step, you risk spilling molten cheese all over! Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.. but just give it 5 minutes for the roof of your mouth’s sake.
3. Cover that bad boy in your toppings! See below for this caramelized onion and pear version!
Baked Brie with Caramelized Onion and Pears
Ingredients
- 1 sweet white onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon balsalmic vinegar
- 1 wheel of brie
- 1/2 a pear, very thinly sliced
- a handful of walnuts, roughly chopped
- drizzle of honey
- pomegranate seeds and herbs for garnish
- baguette and crackers for serving
Instructions
- Caramelize your onions - melt your butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add all the onions to the pan and stir them gently to coat with butter. Check the onions every 5 to 10 minutes. Stir the onions and scrape up any fond that forms on the bottom of the skillet. Cook for about 40 minutes until onions are very brown and caramelized. When your onions have finished cooking, pour in your balsamic vinegar. As the liquid bubbles, scrape up the bits on the bottom of pan and stir it into the onions. Use additional liquid as necessary to scrape up all the bits. Salt the onions to taste.
- For the brie, cut off top rind of brie with a sharp knife (it’s okay if you can’t get the rind off in one piece; brie will smooth out as it bakes).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the wheel of Brie in the center. Layer on the pear slices, then add caramelized onions, sprinkle with walnuts, and drizzle generously with honey.
- Bake until cheese is melted, 15 minutes or so. Remove from oven and let rest to firm up slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Top with pomegranate seeds and fresh rosemary to be festive! Serve with crackers and baguette slices. Enjoy!
I love Brie, this recipe sound delicious 😋
Author
Thanks carol! Yes, brie is always so good for entertaining!