Asparagus Casserole – It’s Quick and Easy

Asparagus casserole with potatoes and ham

The spring vegetables go well with potatoes and ham. With a few more ingredients you can conjure up a delicious asparagus casserole:

• For a large casserole dish for four servings, you need a kilogram of asparagus (green or white) as well as 15 potatoes and 200 grams of ham.
• Prepare the sauce from 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp flour as well as 200 g crème fraîche, 200 g cream cheese, and 300 ml dry white wine. The grated cheese of your choice provides a delicious cheese crust.
• First cook the potatoes. Then peel them and cut them into slices. Then spread them in the greased casserole dish.
• Peel the asparagus and cut it into pieces about two inches long. Then cook it until done. Drain the pieces and spread them over the potatoes along with the ham cut into pieces. Do not throw away the asparagus water. It serves as the basis for the sauce.
• In a pan, mix the melted butter with the flour to form a roux. To do this, heat the butter and stir in the flour. Make sure that there are no lumps and that the butter does not turn too brown.
• Pour this roux immediately with a little asparagus water while stirring constantly – one or two tablespoons should be enough. A roux is a homemade sauce thickener. So stir until the consistency is creamy.
• When the roux has thickened, remove the pan from the heat. Add the white wine and stir in the melted cheese and crème fraîche. The sauce is seasoned with a little salt and pepper.
• Spread the finished cream in the casserole dish and sprinkle everything with a little grated cheese. In the oven preheated to 200 degrees, the casserole only needs 20 minutes to be ready.

Vegetarian asparagus casserole – recipe to cook at home

The preparation of the vegetarian version is similar to the recipe just described. However, of course, no ham is included.

• For this recipe, prepare 800 g of waxy potatoes and 600 g of white asparagus. Prepare the sauce from 200 g crème fraîche and 200 g cream. 2 tsp mustard, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, and a little lemon juice provide a special taste.
• You will also need a clove of garlic, 100 g grated Emmental, and salt, pepper, and nutmeg for seasoning.
• Prepare the vegetables as described in the first recipe. So cook the asparagus and potatoes. Spread both in a greased casserole dish.
• For the sauce, mix together the creme fraiche, cream, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and lemon juice to form an even mixture. Crush the garlic and add it to the sauce along with the grated cheese.
• Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and pour the sauce over the potatoes and asparagus. Bake the casserole in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about half an hour.
• Tip: Sprinkle the finished casserole with fresh herbs before serving. Chives, parsley, or wild garlic are good here.