My Asparagus Gratin is an easily made, elegant side dish that will sit happily beside most proteins. This seasonal vegetable is a wonderful way to celebrate the arrival of spring, and whilst it’s available, I like to enjoy it in as many ways as possible. The tender asparagus is covered in a cheesy, creamy sauce, topped with panko breadcrumbs and baked until the top is golden and crispy. It is easy, impressive and pure comfort food that is loved by family and friends alike.
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- We make a simple, creamy sauce, similar to a Béchamel. It is an easy sauce, similar to the one I use with my Bacon Mac and Cheese.
- While asparagus is plentiful and affordable it is a great opportunity to use it in this Gratin. It is pure comfort food.
- To make the topping especially crispy, we top the dish with buttery, herbed breadcrumbs. They perfectly complement each other.
- Along with my Asparagus and Parmesan Filo Rolls and Grilled Asparagus Salad, this is just one of the ways to enjoy seasonal asparagus.
- This baked Asparagus Gratin is easy to make and being able to make it ahead of time means that it is perfect for entertaining. Don’t add the breadcrumbs until you are ready to bake it.
- You can serve it as a side dish or a meat-free main course.
Recipe Inspiration: I feel that asparagus is a luxurious vegetable; the short seasonality encourages me to try new ways to use it. It is extremely versatile, and lends itself to using in soup, with pasta, in frittata, as an appetiser or in salads, such as my Char-Grilled Asparagus with Feta and Mint.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Asparagus - we have used medium size green asparagus spears, a little thicker than a pencil. Ideally, for even cooking, choose asparagus of uniform size.
- Butter – we prefer unsalted butter for the sauce and the topping. As the cheese adds saltiness this means that we are better able to control the amount of salt in the dish.
- Plain/all-purpose flour - combined with the butter, this is our roux, a base for the cheesy bechamel sauce we are making. Use gluten-free if necessary.
- Milk – I have used full fat for this recipe.
- Cheddar cheese – we use a freshly grated, full-flavoured cheddar cheese. It is important to grate the cheese yourself. Commercial pre-grated cheese may contain anti-clumping agents that don’t melt smoothly and make your sauce grainy.
- Dijon mustard – adds gentle spice, savouriness and a slight acidity which helps balance the flavours.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – be sure to properly season your sauce before assembling the dish. It makes a huge difference to the finished product.
- Panko breadcrumbs – these are light, flaky breadcrumbs, readily available in the supermarket. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs if necessary.
- Thyme leaves – we use fresh thyme leaves; they add great savoury flavour to the breadcrumb topping.
- Parmesan cheese – we use Parmigiano Reggiano. Use the best quality that you have. Avoid pre-grated as it generally contains additives.
Variations:
Asparagus – you could try fresh green beans or broccoli florets if you prefer. If using broccoli, blanch the florets first, as per my Cauliflower Gratin recipe.
Cheese – you could use Swiss Gruyere instead of cheddar.
Spice – you could add some cayenne pepper to suit your taste.
Ham – you could add some diced ham to the sauce. It’s a great way to use leftover Christmas ham.
How To Make Asparagus Gratin:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Prepare the bread crumb topping and asparagus:
Snap the ends of the asparagus to remove the woody part and cut the asparagus into roughly 5 cm (2 inch) lengths.
To make the bread crumb topping, melt the butter in a medium size saucepan. Add to a medium size bowl along with the breadcrumbs, thyme leaves and grated parmesan. Stir to combine well and set aside.
2 – Make the sauce:
For the creamy cheese sauce, in the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat then add the flour and use a whisk to combine. Cook for a minute then add the milk. Whisk frequently until the sauce thickens, begins to simmer, and you have the consistency of pouring cream. (about 5-7 mins)
Remove from the heat and add the grated cheese, mustard and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well until the cheese melts.
3 – Add to your dish:
Add the asparagus pieces to the prepared baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over.
4 – Add the topping:
Evenly sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top.
Add the dish to the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the topping is crispy and golden and the asparagus are cooked through. Stand the dish for 5 minutes before serving.
Hint: check that the sauce is seasoned to your liking before adding to the dish.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
No, you don’t need to peel the stems. If you buy fresh, medium size asparagus spears, just a little thicker than a pencil, it is not necessary to peel them. You just need to remove the woody end. They are at their best when they’re young and freshly picked.
No, it isn’t necessary unless you buy very large spears, in which case the stalks will be tougher. After trimming the stalks and cutting them into lengths, drop the asparagus into a large saucepan with about 5 cm/2 inches boiling water and cook 2–3 minutes, depending on their size. Do not overcook it; it should still be firm as it will finish cooking in the oven. Be sure that you drain it very well before adding it to the baking dish or it will make the sauce slightly watery.
Yes, you can! We have tested this recipe with both gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs, and it works perfectly. If you’re unable to source gluten-free breadcrumbs, simply omit and just sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Yes, reheat in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C (355 F) for about 20 minutes or until ready. Uncover the dish for the last 10 minutes.
Top Tip:
For the best result, it is important to start with good-quality ingredients. The asparagus should be fresh and the cheese full of flavour.
If you have large asparagus that will need to be blanched, be sure to not overcook it as it will cook further in the oven. If you blanch the asparagus, drain it very well before adding to your baking dish or it may make your sauce watery.
Serving Suggestions:
You will find that this Asparagus Gratin is a versatile dish. Some ways to enjoy it are:
- It is great served alongside most proteins.
- For a meat-free meal, serve it with our Roasted Cherry Tomatoes or Quinoa and Spinach Salad.
- At a barbecue it is a great addition to meats or sausages.
- Serve it as a side dish for your festive celebration; it is a great advantage to be able to prepare it ahead of time.
- Take to a potluck – it travels well and is always a crowd-pleaser.
Enjoy this delicious, family-favourite side dish, and be sure to let me know in the comments below when you have given it a try!
Alex xx
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Asparagus Gratin
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For the Asparagus and Sauce:
- 450 g (1 lb) asparagus - prepared weight, after trimming/woody ends removed See Note 1
- 30 g (6 tsp) unsalted butter
- 20 g (6 tsp) plain/all-purpose flour – use gluten-free if necessary See Note 2
- 330 ml (1 ⅓ cups) milk
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 125 g (1 ¼ cups) freshly grated cheddar cheese
- sea salt (if necessary) and freshly ground pepper - to taste See Note 3
For the Topping:
- 30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 60 g (⅔ cup) panko breadcrumbs – use gluten-free breadcrumbs if necessary
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves - finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C (390 F).
- Prepare your breadcrumb topping. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the melted butter to a medium-sized bowl along with the breadcrumbs, thyme leaves and grated parmesan. Stir to combine well and set aside.
- Lightly butter the base and sides of a 22 cm (8.5 inch) square baking dish or oval dish that has an 8 cup capacity.
- With your fingers, snap the ends of the asparagus to remove the woody part. Cut the asparagus into roughly 5 cm (2 inch) pieces.
- For the cheese sauce, in the same saucepan that you melted the butter in, melt the butter for the sauce over medium-high heat. Then, add the flour and use a whisk to combine. Cook for a minute, whisking constantly, then add the milk. Whisk frequently until the sauce thickens, begins to simmer, and you have the consistency of pouring cream. This will take about 5-7 minutes.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and add the grated cheese, mustard and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well until the cheese melts.Check that the seasoning is to your liking, adding salt if necessary.
- Add the asparagus pieces to the prepared baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over, then evenly sprinkle the breadcrumb on top.
- Add the dish to the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the topping is crispy and golden and the asparagus is cooked through. If the topping gets too brown, cover with a little foil for the remainder of cooking.Stand the dish for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Asparagus: this is the prepared weight of the asparagus once it has been trimmed/woody ends have been removed. We have used and recommend medium size green asparagus spears, a little thicker than a pencil. Ideally, for even cooking, choose asparagus of uniform size. When selecting asparagus, the stalks should be crisp and firm, the tips tight and fully closed. Avoid any with wrinkled, limp stems or tips that look dry or have opened. Very thick asparagus will needed to be blanched for 3-5 minutes first to ensure they will be cooked through.
- Gluten-free: this dish has been tested with gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs and comes out perfectly. If you are unable to source gluten-free breadcrumbs, simply omit and just sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top.
- Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons). For readers located elsewhere in the world, please use 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for each listed tablespoon.
- Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend using freshly ground black pepper. As the cheese is salty, be sure to check the sauce before adding additional salt.
- Make in advance: you can prepare the dish a day in advance but don’t add the breadcrumbs until just before you are ready to bake it.
- Storage: store leftovers, well covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the Asparagus Gratin, covered with foil, at 180 degrees C (355 F) for 10-15 minutes or until hot. Leave uncovered for the last 5 minutes.
- Freezing: the dish does not freeze well, it becomes watery.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
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