Cheesy Baked Asparagus is an easy side dish when you want a great depth of flavor but with very little fuss! With tender asparagus and a creamy cheesy garlic sauce, there’s a delightful crunch to the breadcrumb topping that makes this dish stand out from all the rest!
This Cheesy Baked Asparagus recipe has been a game-changer! It mixes fresh asparagus with aromatic garlic, parmesan cheese, and heavy cream, all topped off with panko breadcrumbs for an amazing crunch.
We like a lot of vegetables in our house, and even though we do have some selective eaters, I can sneak a lot by when I cover them with cream and cheese. 😉
Asparagus is one of those vegetables that people either love or hate. Non-asparagus fans probably just haven’t had it cooked or served properly before.
But let me assure you – asparagus makes a delicious side dish when cooked and served correctly, and it really isn’t difficult to do!
We’ll eat asparagus with my Slow Cooker Sweedish Meatballs, and with my Creamy Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Thighs, as I find it a hearty but simple veggie to cook.
Asparagus can look beautiful on a plate when it’s cooked well, so it’s also a great option for dinner parties or special occasions. It is creamy, cheesy comfort food in veggie form!
This easy recipe is ready in just 20 minutes, so it’s the perfect side dish for last-minute prep for a weeknight dinner or a fancy meal.
Serve this baked asparagus alongside other vegetable side dishes like these Roasted Vegetables, Roasted Carrots, or this Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes recipe.
Ingredients Needed:
You only need a handful of ingredients for this cheesy asparagus recipe.
- Asparagus: use fresh asparagus for best results, you’ll need a bunch of it about 1 lb, with the ends trimmed.
- Cream: heavy cream is perfect to give this dish that creamy, comforting flavor and texture. If you use a lighter cream, you risk the change that it will curdle as it cooks and not form as thick a sauce.
- Cheese: use a block of parmesan cheese that you can grate yourself for the best flavor.
- Salt: kosher salt will enhance all the flavors.
- Garlic: fresh garlic that you mince yourself is best here to get a superior flavor, but you can use garlic powder or pre-minced garlic in a pinch (though the amount needed may vary).
- Pepper: freshly cracked black pepper will give the asparagus a slight peppery spice kick that is delicious!
- Bread Crumbs: use Panko breadcrumbs to get that crunchy texture on top.
How to Make Cheesy Baked Asparagus
This is the easiest way to make amazingly flavorful asparagus. Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.
- Put asparagus in dish. Trim and place asparagus in the baking dish.
- Make sauce. Make the creamy sauce mixing all the ingredients for it in a small bowl or jug.
- Add sauce. Next, add the creamy sauce to the dish, pouring it on top of the asparagus.
- Add cheese and crumbs. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and Panko bread crumbs on top of the asparagus and bake!
Cheesy Baked Asparagus FAQs
No, I never boil the asparagus before baking it. Asparagus should cook through fine in a preheated oven within about 15 minutes.
I have found that asparagus cooks through within 12-15 minutes in a preheated oven at 425 degrees F. If you have particularly thick asparagus spears or very thin ones, this cooking time may vary. Check on the asparagus at the 10-minute mark if you have thin spears.
This recipe has just a few minutes of prep time, but you can always stir together the sauce and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake the asparagus.
This recipe is best eaten right away, but you can refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days and reheat them in the oven (350 degrees for 10 minutes or until heated through).
I do not recommend freezing this recipe, and I recommend using fresh asparagus to make this recipe and not pre-frozen.
Tips and Notes
- Use fresh asparagus. Fresh vegetables will always give you the best set of flavors. Frozen asparagus will thaw to be quite soggy, which won’t be great for this dish.
- Casserole dish. Use a casserole dish or roasting pan that is just big enough to hold the asparagus. If the sauce is spread too thin over the asparagus and dish, it will burn.
- Cream: this recipe works because heavy cream will thicken on its own when cooked. A lighter cream will not thicken the same way. You can swap the heavy cream for light cream but your sauce will be thin.
Cheesy Baked Asparagus Variations
- Mix up the veggies. You can prepare all kinds of vegetables in this way. Green beans, carrots, mushrooms, and leeks are good choices.
- Add some heat. Add some red pepper flakes to the dish to add a bit of spice.
- Herbs. Almost any herbs will work well in baked asparagus. Try Italian seasoning if you’re making an Italian main. Basil, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, dill or cilantro would work well, depending on what your main dish is.
- Cheese. Switch the cheese for Gruyere cheese, cheddar cheese, shredded Mozzarella cheese, or another of your favorite cheeses. Mix cheeses together for even more flavor!
- Bacon. Add some chopped bacon to the top of the dish and let it get nice and crispy in the oven. The salty bacon flavor goes so well with asparagus and the salty cheese.
- Honey. Asparagus goes well with honey. You could drizzle some honey on top of the dish before putting it in the oven, or toss the fresh asparagus in some honey before adding the breadcrumbs.
Serving Suggestions
Cheesy Baked Asparagus is an amazing side dish to so many meals, but it would pair wonderfully with my Garlic Parmesan Orzo Pasta, this Chicken Broccoli Alfredo, and my One Pan Tuscan Chicken and Potato Skillet.
We always have bread on our dinner table spread as well, so check out these delicious recipes for my Homemade Crescent Rolls, this classic Garlic Bread, or my Mom’s Homemade Buns!
More Easy Side Dish Recipes to Try
Cheesy Baked Asparagus
written by Ashley Fehr
Equipment
- 1 rimmed baking sheet or casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 bunch fresh asparagus about 1 lb – ends trimmed
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese divided
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic about 1 clove
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease a casserole dish (you don’t want it too big — just big enough to hold your asparagus in a mostly flat layer. Too big and your sauce may burn)
- Place your trimmed asparagus in the baking dish or roasting pan.
- Combine the heavy cream, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, salt, garlic, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the asparagus in the pan.
- Sprinkle remaining Parmesan and Panko bread crumbs on top.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until desired tenderness is reached. The sauce will thicken as it cooks and may brown slightly.
Notes
- Cream: this recipe works because heavy cream will thicken on its own when cooked. A lighter cream will not thicken the same way. You can swap the heavy cream for light cream but your sauce will be thin.
- Seasonings: feel free to add additional seasonings to your tastes!
- Store: This recipe is best eaten right away, but you can refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days and reheat them in the oven (350 degrees for 10 minutes or until heated through).
- Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Nutrition Information
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Mychael O'Brien says
It was fantastic! I made it for Easter dinner. A new family favorite.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Mychael! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Eileen says
I don’t have a oval casserole dish.How many quarts for a casserole dish?