Even non-asparagus fans will LOVE this recipe for roasted asparagus cheese bake! It's a snap to make, 5 minute prep, 20 minutes in the oven -- perfect cheesy asparagus every single time!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash, pat dry and trim asparagus and place in a lightly sprayed 9x13 inch baking dish or casserole (may also be placed on a greased sheet pan).Sprinkle with minced garlic.
Pour heavy cream over the asparagus.
Sprinkle with parmesan, mozzarella and gruyere cheeses.
Add some red pepper flakes if used, or sprinkle crispy bacon pieces or crispy fried onions.
Bake until cheese is golden and melty and asparagus is tender, start checking about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
MAKE AHEAD INSTRUCTIONSThis is one dish I do not recommend you baking ahead of time and reheat. Asparagus is tender you won't want it to become tough. My suggestions are:Wash, trim and dry your asparagus and if room in your fridge, lay out in a layer in the pan.
Mince the garlic, cover and set aside.
Shred all of your cheeses and place in separate containers with asparagus.
Pre-measure the cream, set aside in fridge.
Then once you are ready, it literally takes less than two minutes to assemble
FREEZING INSTRUCTIONSYou can freeze fresh asparagus, however; I do not recommend you freeze the pre-made or finished baked asparagus. The cheese and cream will separate, causing a curdled appearance. Won't hurt you, just won't look pretty. To freeze asparagus, trim, wash and dry stalks. Place in freezer baggie or airtight container, freezing in one layer. Or line a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper and lay the veggies in a row, flash freeze until firm, then transfer to an airtight container or baggie. How to Prepare Asparagus for Cooking
Rinse well and pat dry, since asparagus is harvested from the ground it can be pretty dirty.
TRIMMING | Hold the asparagus stalk from the end and gently but firmly bend the top until it "snaps" off, this will remove the woody end and leave only the tender portion, if even ends are desired, do this with the first one, then line up the rest of the bunch and use a knife to trim to the same length.
Peel the skin | Peeling reveals the more tender portion of the asparagus, removing the stringy outside, using a peeler, hold it flat and gently peel off the outer skin. Personally I have never done this on my asparagus.