Asparagus-Cheese Casserole
Submitted by taz
Asparagus-cheese casserole with hard-cooked eggs, sharp cheddar, minced almonds, and a mace-seasoned cream sauce. Topped with buttered breadcrumbs and Parmesan and baked until golden.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
60 minThis asparagus casserole doesn’t cut corners. The cream sauce starts from a butter-flour roux cooked out for a couple of minutes to remove the raw flour taste, then finished with both milk and heavy cream. A quarter teaspoon of mace gets added with the seasoning. Mace, the outer covering of nutmeg, adds a subtle warmth that makes the sauce taste more complex than the ingredient list suggests.
The layering is what sets this apart from a simple asparagus bake. Asparagus spears alternate with coarsely chopped hard-cooked eggs, grated sharp cheddar, and minced blanched almonds. The almonds add a crunch that survives the oven and plays against the creamy sauce.
The breadcrumb topping combines buttered soft white crumbs with freshly grated Parmesan. The Parmesan browns well and gives the crust a salty, sharp finish.
Bake uncovered until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the topping is tipped with brown.
Kitchen Tips
- Cook the flour-butter roux for the full 1-2 minutes before adding liquid; this removes the starchy taste from the finished sauce
- Use very old sharp cheddar for the strongest flavor that holds up against the richness of the cream
- Drain asparagus and eggs well before layering to prevent water from diluting the sauce
- Rest 5 minutes after baking so the layers hold together when scooped
Variations
- Fresh asparagus: Blanch fresh asparagus spears and cut into pieces for a more vibrant result than frozen
- Nutmeg: If you don’t have mace, a small pinch of freshly grated nutmeg substitutes well
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
In a medium saucepan set over moderate heat, melt the butter. Spoon 4 teaspoons of the melted butter into a bowl. Set aside.
Blend the flour, salt, pepper and mace into the rest of the butter and let it sit over low heat for 1-to-2 minutes. Add the milk and cream and cook the sauce, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes, until it has become thick and smooth.
In a well-buttered, 2-quart casserole, alternate layers of the asparagus, eggs, Cheddar cheese and almonds. Pour the cream sauce over the layers. Combine the reserved butter, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and scatter the topping over the layers.
Combine the reserved butter, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and scatter the topping over the surface of the casserole. Bake the uncovered casserole for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the topping is tipped with brown.
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