Fresh Asparagus Casserole
Why this recipe? My good Texan friends, Janelle and Randy, introduced me to this wonderful Southern- style Asparagus Casserole. My favorite part of the dish was the creamy sauce and the hard-boiled eggs. I have never had such a delightful asparagus side dish!
The Flip: Instead of using your typical high-sodium canned asparagus, I used fresh asparagus—that way I could put more asparagus in the recipe!
Can you identify the object holding the fresh asparagus? Check out the end of this post to learn a little about its background!
I cut the asparagus (removing the tough part of the stalks) and immediately steamed them so they would have a head start in the baking process.
Next, came a layer of flavorful red pimiento's, followed by—my favorite—Perfect Yellow Yolk Hard-Boiled Eggs. Check out the bright yellow yolks—and click the link above to learn how I ensure no grey rings ever surround my yolks!
I must give credit to my dear friends, Ken and Bev, for their free-range farm eggs—they are delicious!
A big part of the flip was replacing the canned soups used in the original recipe with 98% fat-free soups. I used the canned soups to make a garlic-herb sauce to drizzle over the eggs!
For the topping, I replaced the croutons with Panko crumbs and the cheese with sharp 2% Cheddar.
My thoughts: This is a great easy-to-make casserole for RVing, picnics, and potlucks! If you're not a 2% cheese fan, consider mixing equal parts of sharp cheddar with your 2% cheese. It may add a few calories and points, but it's a great way to start working with reduced-fat cheese. Enjoy!
Servings: 12 Serving size: 1 Calories: 131 Fat: 6g Carbs: 9g Fiber: 1g Protein: 8g Sugar: 2g
Sodium: 565mg Old Points: 3 WW Points +: 3
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lbs Asparagus Spears, washed and cut into 1 inch pieces (make sure to remove tough bases)
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt, (optional)
- 1 (2 oz) jar diced Pimientos, drained
- 3 hard-boiled Eggs, peeled and sliced
- 1 (10 3/4 oz) can Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup, 98% fat-free (I used Campbell's Healthy Request)
- 1 (10 3/4 oz) can Cream of Celery Condensed Soup, 98% fat-free (I used Campbell's Healthy Request)
- 2 tsp Garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp dried Tarragon
- 3/4 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 2 cups Sharp 2% Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Directions:
- Steam cut asparagus for approximately 5 minutes.
- Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Place asparagus in bottom of casserole.
- Sprinkle salt and diced pimientos over top of asparagus.
- Lay sliced hard-boiled eggs over top of pimientos and asparagus.
- In mixing bowl; combine cream of chicken and celery condensed soups, garlic, lemon juice and tarragon. Stir well. Evenly drizzle over top of hard-boiled eggs.
- In separate bowl; combine bread crumbs and cheese. Mix. Evenly sprinkle over top of casserole mixture.
- Cover casserole dish with aluminum foil. Place in 325 degree oven for 35 minutes or until asparagus is fork tender.
- Remove foil. Lightly spray topping with cooking spray. Return to oven and bake until topping is a very light golden brown.
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