Asparagus Casserole

This is easy casserole asparagus recipe is one of our favorite side dish to make for our Christmas dinner. We always make the classic green bean casserole, but cheesy asparagus casserole is now on the menu as well.

This creamy, cheesy casserole heats in a saucepan and then baked for less than 15 minutes in the oven. The fresh asparagus cooks perfectly tender and the sauce is rich and creamy. We love the added breadcrumbs so every bite has that extra crunch.

If you are looking for a creamy side dish for your Christmas dinner or potluck recipe, make Asparagus Casserole or one of our other Christmas Casserole Recipes.

What is Asparagus Casserole?

Asparagus Casserole is a delicious casserole that is made without cream of mushroom soup. The ingredients are simple and combine the delicious green vegetable, asparagus.

Asparagus, flour, milk, cheese and other easy ingredients are all combined and melted in a saucepan. Then the ingredients are poured into a casserole dish and topped with bread crumbs to make a delicious casserole.

Because of the rich and creamy flavor it is the perfect casserole dish to serve for Christmas dinner.

Ingredients

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe in the recipe card.

Substitutions and Additions

• Bread Crumbs – Instead of using bread crumbs, you can crush Ritz Crackers on top of the casserole.
• French Fried Onions – Feel free to top the casserole with French friend onions for a delicious variation.
• Thick Asparagus Mixture – Making the flour slurry before pouring into the casserole makes the mixture thick. You can add more flour if the mixture is still to thin.
• Cheese – We used mozzarella cheese but you can also use cheddar cheese. Pepper Jack Cheese would also be delicious added to this asparagus casserole.

How to Make Asparagus Casserole

• Step 1 – Heat Oven and Prepare Baking Pan – Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Then spray a 9X13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set Aside.

Step 2 – Blanch Asparagus – Boil a large pot of water. Add in the diced thin asparagus and cook for 1 minute to blanch the asparagus. Transfer the asparagus to an ice bath immediately after the cook time.

Step 3 – Melt Butter – Melt 3 Tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Then add in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until aromatic. Then whisk in flour to the butter mixture.

Step 4 – Add in Milk and seasoning – Next slowly add in the milk, salt and pepper.  Continue to heat and whisk until the sauce has thickened.

Step 5 – Stir in Cream cheese and Mozzarella Cheese – Then remove from the heat and stir in the cream cheese and mozzarella cheese until melted.

Step 6 – Place asparagus in Baking Dish – Arrange the asparagus in the 9X13 pan. Pour the cheese sauce over the asparagus mixture and gently stir to coat the asparagus with the cheese sauce. Then bake uncovered for 13-16 minutes.

Step 7 – Prepare Bread Crumbs – While the casserole is cooking, prepare the topping.  Melt the remaining tablespoon of the butter and mix it with the bread crumbs. 

Step 8 – Top the casserole with bread crumb – Once the butter is mixed in, stir in the shredded Parmesan Cheese. Sprinkle the bread crumb topping onto the casserole halfway through the cook time.

Step 9 – Broil Casserole – Once the cook time, broil the casserole for 2-3 minutes to brown the top of the casserole. Then remove from the oven.  Let the casserole sit for 10-15 minutes so that the sauce will thicken. Then serve and enjoy!

How to Trim Asparagus

Asparagus is a tasty vegetable that we serve a lot because it is an easy side dish. But before cooking asparagus, you need to properly trim so that you get the best part of this tasty vegetable.

• Gather Asparagus on a cutting board and line them up. Depending on how many you have, you may need to work in batches.
• Use a large chef’s knife to slice off the bottom tough parts of the asparagus. Cut the asparagus where the green part of the asparagus turns to white. We call this tough and woody parts.
• Continue cutting asparagus in batches until all have been trimmed of the woody parts.

How to Serve

This asparagus casserole is perfectly served as a side dish to your holiday dinner. Serve with one of these Main Dish Recipes.

• Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe – All you need is a few seasonings, a turkey breast and roasting pan. Coat the turkey with the butter and seasoning and bake. We love making this asparagus casserole with our turkey dinner.
• Slow Cooker Ham – Make your ham in the slow cooker for a delicious and easy way to cook your ham. The ham comes out full of flavor and the slow cooker does all the work. Add the 3 ingredient brown sugar glaze for added sweet and salty flavor.
• Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Recipe – We love a good meatloaf recipe. But adding bacon and the tangy ketchup mixture takes your classic meatloaf to the next level. The simple seasoning to this meatloaf recipe is flavor and combines simple ingredients.

Frequently Asked Questions