Tender Asparagus Cheese Bake (Printable)

Asparagus baked in creamy cheese sauce topped with golden breadcrumb crust, perfect for spring.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed

→ Dairy

02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
04 - 1 cup whole milk
05 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
06 - 1 cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese, divided
07 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Seasonings

08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
10 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

→ Topping

11 - 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
12 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add asparagus and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes until tender and bright green. Drain and pat dry. Arrange asparagus in prepared baking dish.
03 - Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
04 - Gradually whisk in milk and heavy cream. Cook while whisking until sauce thickens, about 3 to 4 minutes.
05 - Remove sauce from heat. Stir in half the shredded Gruyère and all the Parmesan cheese. Season with salt, black pepper, and nutmeg if using.
06 - Pour cheese sauce evenly over asparagus. Sprinkle remaining Gruyère on top.
07 - In a small bowl, toss breadcrumbs with melted butter. Sprinkle mixture evenly over casserole.
08 - Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly and golden brown on top.
09 - Let casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes elegant enough for company but comes together in less than an hour with zero fussing.
  • The contrast between creamy sauce, tender asparagus, and crunchy breadcrumb topping is genuinely addictive.
  • It transforms a simple vegetable into something that feels like comfort food, even when spring is the only season happening around you.
02 -
  • Don't skip the blanching step; raw or al dente asparagus will stay tough, but a 2–3 minute blanch gets it to the perfect texture without turning it to mush.
  • Nutmeg sounds like a wild card here, but it's what separates this from tasting like every other cream sauce—use just a pinch, and people will taste something special without knowing what it is.
03 -
  • If your sauce breaks or looks grainy while cooking, pour it through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot—this saves it almost every time.
  • Make the sauce up to a day ahead and reheat it gently on the stovetop; this actually lets the flavors develop and deepen overnight.
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