Asparagus Casserole

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Asparagus Casserole — Smothered in a rich cream sauce, and layered with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, along with perfectly crispy breadcrumbs, this will be your new FAVORITE way to eat asparagus! Makes a wonderful holiday side dish from Thanksgiving to Easter, but it’s FAST and EASY enough so you can serve it at weeknight dinners!

Asparagus Casserole - Smothered in a rich cream sauce, and layered with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, along with perfectly crispy breadcrumbs, this will be your new FAVORITE way to eat asparagus! Makes a wonderful holiday side dish from Thanksgiving to Easter, but it's FAST and EASY enough so you can serve it at weeknight dinners!

If you’re a fan of asparagus, I’ve got the perfect fast, easy, yet decadent side dish recipe!

But even if you’re not the biggest fan of asparagus, or have some picky eaters at your table, when you smother homemade cream sauce reminiscent of alfredo sauce all over the asparagus, and then top it with two types of cheese, and bake it to perfection so that the top gets perfectly crispy, everyone will dig right into this asparagus casserole!

I adapted an old family recipe that we tend to serve at holidays including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. One nice thing about this easy asparagus side dish is that you can prep it in advance, which works out so nicely for holiday cooking. More on that below.

But it’s simple enough to make as an easy weeknight side dish, especially when it’s springtime and asparagus is seasonal and abundant.

Asparagus Casserole - Smothered in a rich cream sauce, and layered with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, along with perfectly crispy breadcrumbs, this will be your new FAVORITE way to eat asparagus! Makes a wonderful holiday side dish from Thanksgiving to Easter, but it's FAST and EASY enough so you can serve it at weeknight dinners!

Ingredients for This Recipe

You’ll need only a handful of very common and easy to find ingredients including:

  • Fresh asparagus
  • Unsalted Butter
  • All-purpose flour
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Heavy cream
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Mozzarella cheee
  • Panko breadcrumbs

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

Asparagus Casserole - Smothered in a rich cream sauce, and layered with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, along with perfectly crispy breadcrumbs, this will be your new FAVORITE way to eat asparagus! Makes a wonderful holiday side dish from Thanksgiving to Easter, but it's FAST and EASY enough so you can serve it at weeknight dinners!

How To Select Asparagus

I use fresh asparagus that’s what I would call “medium” or average sized in diameter. Not too fat, not too skinny. This recipe was developed with average sized asparagus in mind.

I am not a fan of very thick asparagus because I find it to be tough. Very skinny or thin asparagus is nice and tender, but in this recipe where the recipe will bake for ~20 minutes, it could become overdone.

Asparagus Casserole - Smothered in a rich cream sauce, and layered with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, along with perfectly crispy breadcrumbs, this will be your new FAVORITE way to eat asparagus! Makes a wonderful holiday side dish from Thanksgiving to Easter, but it's FAST and EASY enough so you can serve it at weeknight dinners!

How To Trim Asparagus

People make such a big deal about this and I am not sure why!

Here’s what to do:

  • grab 1 pound of the asparagus
  • take off the rubber band that’s likely binding the base or middle
  • place the tips in your left hand, the base in your right hand, and using your right hand, pull or snap down with a bit of force (reverse this if you’re a leftie)
  • repeat with the second 1-pound bunch
Asparagus Casserole - Smothered in a rich cream sauce, and layered with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, along with perfectly crispy breadcrumbs, this will be your new FAVORITE way to eat asparagus! Makes a wonderful holiday side dish from Thanksgiving to Easter, but it's FAST and EASY enough so you can serve it at weeknight dinners!

The fibrous and inedible base part should snap off at the point where the tender and edible portion of the stalk begins. Voila, you now have ‘trimmed asparagus’.

You can also cut the base off using a sharp knife however you’re flying a bit blind since you won’t know that sweet spot where fibrous-meets-tender on the asparagus stalk.

Asparagus Casserole - Smothered in a rich cream sauce, and layered with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, along with perfectly crispy breadcrumbs, this will be your new FAVORITE way to eat asparagus! Makes a wonderful holiday side dish from Thanksgiving to Easter, but it's FAST and EASY enough so you can serve it at weeknight dinners!

How to Make Cheesy Asparagus Casserole

It’s a cinch to make this cheesy asparagus casserole!

  1. Preheat oven and spray a baking dish with cooking spray and place the asparagus in the dish.
Asparagus Casserole - Smothered in a rich cream sauce, and layered with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, along with perfectly crispy breadcrumbs, this will be your new FAVORITE way to eat asparagus! Makes a wonderful holiday side dish from Thanksgiving to Easter, but it's FAST and EASY enough so you can serve it at weeknight dinners!
  1. In a small saucepan, add 3 tbsp of butter, melt it, whisk in the flour, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cook it for about 2 mins. This is called making a roux. And it’s what we’re doing to avoid using cream of mushroom soup!
Asparagus Casserole - Smothered in a rich cream sauce, and layered with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, along with perfectly crispy breadcrumbs, this will be your new FAVORITE way to eat asparagus! Makes a wonderful holiday side dish from Thanksgiving to Easter, but it's FAST and EASY enough so you can serve it at weeknight dinners!
  1. Slowly add the heavy cream and simmer for about 4 minutes, or until the mixture is thick.
Asparagus Casserole - Smothered in a rich cream sauce, and layered with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, along with perfectly crispy breadcrumbs, this will be your new FAVORITE way to eat asparagus! Makes a wonderful holiday side dish from Thanksgiving to Easter, but it's FAST and EASY enough so you can serve it at weeknight dinners!
  1. Off the heat, add half the Parm, and stir to combine. Pour this sauce over the asparagus.
  1. In a separate small bowl, melt the remaining butter, add the remaining cheese, panko, and mix to combine.
  2. Sprinkle this topping mixture over the saucy asparagus.
  1. Bake and serve!
Asparagus Casserole - Smothered in a rich cream sauce, and layered with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, along with perfectly crispy breadcrumbs, this will be your new FAVORITE way to eat asparagus! Makes a wonderful holiday side dish from Thanksgiving to Easter, but it's FAST and EASY enough so you can serve it at weeknight dinners!

Make Ahead Instructions

Are you making this for Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner, or an Easter celebration and need to check get some items checked off your to-do list? This one is easy to prep in advance.

Simply make and assemble the casserole ahead of time and refrigerate it, covered, for up to 24 hours before baking. However, add the topping just before baking.

Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to bake it (while your oven is preheating or a bit more) so that you’re not placing a cold casserole dish into the oven, which will increase baking time.

Asparagus Casserole - Smothered in a rich cream sauce, and layered with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, along with perfectly crispy breadcrumbs, this will be your new FAVORITE way to eat asparagus! Makes a wonderful holiday side dish from Thanksgiving to Easter, but it's FAST and EASY enough so you can serve it at weeknight dinners!

Tips for Making This Recipe

Bread crumbs: My mom’s original recipe calls for Italian Bread crumbs but I changed to panko for extra crispiness. You can use whatever “crumb” topping you prefer.

Dairy: Heavy cream is our go-to but half-and-half or whole milk will work.

Cheese: I like the combo of grated Parm and shredded mozzarella and used in the ratios listed, but you can adjust to taste. I don’t recommend cheddar cheese or other cheeses you may easily find in your grocery store for both their flavor and how well they do or don’t melt.

Garlic: I prefer garlic powder to garlic cloves because it’s easier and it dissolves more evenly into the sauce. However, you can use cloves if you don’t mind the texture.

Baking time: It will depend on how your oven runs, how crispy you like your cheesy bread crumb topping, and how thick or thin your asparagus are. Bake as needed and desired. You’re in charge of what’s going on in your oven with your asparagus so watch it, and not the clock.

Water release: The asparagus will release its natural water as it cooks. Don’t be alarmed if you see a bit of asparagus “juice” when the casserole is done.

Asparagus Casserole - Smothered in a rich cream sauce, and layered with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, along with perfectly crispy breadcrumbs, this will be your new FAVORITE way to eat asparagus! Makes a wonderful holiday side dish from Thanksgiving to Easter, but it's FAST and EASY enough so you can serve it at weeknight dinners!

Recipe FAQs

can i use frozen asparagus?

Honestly, this recipe is a zillion times better with fresh asparagus! I urge you to use fresh asparagus.

Frozen asparagus (or canned asparagus – also a no!) will simply be mushy when you thaw it. And then it will also release much more water into your cream sauce and the whole thing could turn into a soupy, unappetizing mess. Fresh is best! Asparagus Casserole - Smothered in a rich cream sauce, and layered with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, along with perfectly crispy breadcrumbs, this will be your new FAVORITE way to eat asparagus! Makes a wonderful holiday side dish from Thanksgiving to Easter, but it's FAST and EASY enough so you can serve it at weeknight dinners!

should i keep the asparagus in spears or cut it into pieces?

I’ve seen this recipe made where you trim the asparagus into 2-inch pieces and scatter them in a baking dish – similar to how green bean casserole looks. However, I’ve always eaten this dish with the asparagus served as spears rather than in segments.

can i use regular bread crumbs?

I like panko bread crumbs for the extra level of crispiness they lend. However, regular or traditional Italian bread crumbs are fine. In a pinch, you can even use crushed Ritz crackers or saltine cracker crumbs in place of breadcrumbs. They’re not nearly as crispy, but they’ll work.

can i make this recipe gluten free?

Yes, simply use GF bread crumbs and flour. I recommend gluten-free flour intended for baking, such as a 1-to-1 flour.

can i use different dairy?

I used heavy cream in this because that is how we’ve always made this baked asparagus recipe, but you can also use whole milk or half and half. I don’t suggest a lighter milk like skim, 1% nor 2%. Asparagus Casserole - Smothered in a rich cream sauce, and layered with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, along with perfectly crispy breadcrumbs, this will be your new FAVORITE way to eat asparagus! Makes a wonderful holiday side dish from Thanksgiving to Easter, but it's FAST and EASY enough so you can serve it at weeknight dinners!

should i broil asparagus casserole?

For extra crispy topping you can broil the casserole towards the end, but I never need to. It depends a bit on your oven, your breadcrumbs, and personal preference.

Remember that if you do decide to broil, you need to pay VERY close attention so you don’t burn it! I can imagine 2-3 minutes, tops, is all it would take. Any longer and that and I fear char city coming up!

can i make this in a slow cooker, instant pot, or air fryer?

Possibly but this recipe was developed as tested as it’s written and you’d have to do your own research to making it using one of those methods.

Storage Instructions

In the Refrigerator: This recipe will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Note that the crispy panko topping will no longer be crispy. There’s no way to avoid it.

In the Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this recipe due to the cream sauce potentially separating upon thawing, the asparagus turning super mushy, and the crumb topping being soggy.

To Reheat: I use my microwave for quickness and ease and reheat my leftovers for about 30 seconds on high, or as needed.

What to Serve With Asparagus Casserole

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5 from 6 votes

Asparagus Casserole

Smothered in a rich cream sauce, and layered with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, along with perfectly crispy breadcrumbs, this will be your new FAVORITE way to eat asparagus! Makes a wonderful holiday side dish from Thanksgiving to Easter, but it's FAST and EASY enough so you can serve it at weeknight dinners!
Want to MAKE AHEAD? Make sure to read the blog post section covering how to do it.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6
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Ingredients  

  • 2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, Italian breadcrumbs may be substituted

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400F and spray a ceramic or glass 9×13-inch baking or casserole dish (or 4-quart rectangular casserole dish) with cooking spray and place the asparagus inside; set aside.
  • To a small saucepan, add 3 tablespoons butter, and heat over medium-high heat to melt; swirl the pan to encourage melting.
  • Add the flour, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and whisk to combine. Whisk nearly constantly for about 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened nicely. Tip – This is called making a roux. Do not shortchange this step because this is what will help your cream sauce to thicken up later on since there's no canned or condensed soup being used.
  • Slowly pour in the heavy cream, whisking constantly until the mixture reaches a gentle simmer. Allow mixture to simmer for about 3-5 minutes, or until nicely thickened; whisk nearly constantly while it simmers. Tip – Do not allow the mixture come up to a rapid or fast boil as this excessive heat could cause the cream to 'break' at which point you'd have to start over. Keep the simmer controlled.
  • Remove the saucepan from the heat, add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and whisk to incorporate and keep whisking until smooth.
  • Pour the sauce evenly over the asparagus; set aside.
  • To a medium microwave-safe bowl, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and heat on high power to melt, about 30 seconds.
  • Add the panko and stir to combine.
  • Add the remaining 1/2 cup Parm and all the mozzarella cheese and stir or toss to combine, noting that the mixture will be crumbly and you won't be able to stir it smooth, which is the intention since this is the topping.
  • Evenly sprinkle the topping mixture over the saucy asparagus and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the topping is as golden browned as desired. Tips – I like to rotate my baking dish once midway through baking since even the fanciest ovens still bake a bit unevenly and this helps to ensure even browning. Bake until done in your oven. Baking time will depend a bit on your oven, climate, baking or casserole dish used (metal bakes faster than ceramic or glass) and the size/diameter of your asparagus. Serve immediately. Recipe will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4-5 days, reheat leftovers gently in the microwave. Note that the crispy topping will not stay crispy on any leftovers, and there's nothing to do to prevent it.

Notes

Asparagus – Fresh asparagus is highly recommended. I do not recommend using frozen or canned asparagus because it’s too mushy, will release too much water while baking, and is simply much inferior for a recipe where asparagus is the star of the show! 
I recommend average or medium-thickness asparagus (not too thin, not too thick).
To trim asparagus, here’s what I do:
  • grab 1 pound of the asparagus
  • take off the rubber band that’s likely binding the base or middle
  • place the tips in your left hand, the base in your right hand, and using your right hand, pull or snap down with a bit of force (reverse this if you’re a leftie)
  • repeat with the second 1-pound bunch
  • Alternatively, you can trim with a knife, although it’s harder to determine the natural demarcation point of inedible fibrous material and more tender edible stalk

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 513kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 45g, Saturated Fat: 28g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 137mg, Sodium: 607mg, Potassium: 442mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 2809IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 297mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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