This creamy, cheesy asparagus casserole is the best way to use fresh springtime asparagus! You’ll love it as an Easter side dish, but it’s just as good for a Sunday dinner.
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Pin RecipeIf you love to eat—and if you’re reading this post on asparagus casserole, I think you probably do!—spring means one thing: asparagus season.
Okay, maybe that’s not what spring means to you. But anyone who enjoys asparagus can’t help but get excited when fresh local asparagus starts showing up in the produce section at the grocery store. While asparagus is one of those veggies you can buy year-round, it’s just so much better when it’s fresh from a local farm. This asparagus casserole is a delicious way to use it!
Easy Asparagus Casserole Recipe
Asparagus casserole is a creamy, cheesy side dish that is sure to please the whole family. (If there’s any way to win over asparagus skeptics, it’s definitely smothering it in creamy sauce and cheese and baking it with crispy panko on top!)
This asparagus casserole is a delicious dish for any night of the week, but it’s especially great on a weekend when you’re making a spatchcock chicken or crockpot ham. It’s also versatile enough to serve as a side dish or as a vegetarian entree, which makes it ideal for holiday get-togethers when you’re feeding people with mixed diets. You can also make it ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake and serve.
Items Needed
Ingredients
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Fresh asparagus – Whether you prefer thin asparagus or thick asparagus, make sure you buy a bunch where they’re all more or less the same size. This ensures they’ll all be done cooking at the same time!
- Unsalted butter
- Minced garlic
- Onion – Yellow or white is best for this recipe.
- All-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- White pepper – White peppercorns are picked when fully ripe and then fermented, giving them a nuanced flavor that just can’t be replaced with black pepper.
- Whole milk – Whole milk will give you a rich, creamy sauce.
- Shredded Swiss cheese – Gruyere can be used for a more assertive flavor.
- Panko bread crumbs
- Nonstick cooking spray
Variations
- Swap the chopped onion for shallots.
- Add sautéed sliced mushrooms to the asparagus casserole for more vegetable goodness.
- Stir crumbled cooked bacon into the sauce.
- Crumble Ritz crackers over the top instead of using panko.
- Or, top your asparagus casserole with French-fried onions!
How to Make Asparagus Casserole
- Prepare: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stove. Wash the asparagus, snap off the tough ends, and cut them into 2-inch pieces. Preheat an oven to 375ºF and coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Blanch the asparagus: Add the asparagus to the pot of boiling water and blanch for 1 minute. Transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking process, then drain.
- Cook the aromatics: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until translucent.
- Make the sauce: Sprinkle the flour, salt, and pepper over the onions, then stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, then slowly pour in the milk while whisking. Continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce has started to thicken.
- Assemble: Remove the skillet from the heat, then fold in the cheese and asparagus. Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish and sprinkle the panko over the top.
- Bake: Bake the asparagus casserole for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the sauce starts to bubble up around the edges of the pan. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Quick Tip
If the asparagus casserole starts to brown too quickly, you can tent the top with aluminum foil; this will allow the casserole to continue to bake while keeping the panko from burning.
How to Store Leftover Asparagus Casserole
Store leftover asparagus casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For best results, reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through; the microwave works too, but it’s not quite as good that way!
Serving Suggestions
Asparagus casserole is great as a side dish with Juicy Broiled Chicken Breast, Honey Baked Ham, or Garlic Butter Steak Bites. If you’re serving it for Easter, pair it with other holiday side dishes like Hard Boiled Eggs, Cauliflower Au Gratin, and Scalloped Potatoes.
FAQs
Yes, you can put asparagus in a casserole! Although asparagus isn’t as common as potatoes or green beans in casseroles, it’s definitely possible—and delicious!—to make a casserole with asparagus.
Yes, you can use canned asparagus instead of fresh. However, the flavor will not be as good and the texture will not be as crisp. We recommend using fresh asparagus for best results.
It’s best to blanch asparagus for a casserole, which means quickly boiling it and then cooling it so it don’t get mushy.
Yes, you can freeze asparagus casserole. Allow the casserole to cool before transferring it to a freezer-safe container and storing in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake at 350°F until warmed through.
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Asparagus Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh asparagus
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 8 ounces shredded swiss cheese
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash the asparagus, trim off the woody end and slice into 2 inch pieces.
- Add the asparagus to the boiling water and blanch for 1 minute. Remove and put into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat an oven to 375 F. Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. Once it is hot, add the garlic and onion, then saute for 6 to 8 minutes until translucent.
- Sprinkle the flour, salt and pepper over the top of the onions and stir together with a spatula. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium, then slowly pour in the milk while whisking. Continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce has started to thicken.
- Remove from the heat, then fold in the cheese and asparagus. Add to the baking dish and use a spatula to spread out the mixture evenly. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is golden brown and the sauce starts to bubble around the edges of the pan. If it starts to brown too quickly, you can cover the top with aluminum foil for the final part of the baking process. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
