Fitzelchen's asparagus casserole

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 ½ kg asparagus, white
• 1 kg jacket potatoes
• 200 g ham, cooked
• 25 g butter
• 25 g flour
• 200 g cream cheese spread
• 125 g crème fraîche
• 100 g cheese, grated Gouda
• salt and pepper
• nutmeg
• lemon juice

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Peel the asparagus, cut into pieces and cook in 1 liter of water for about 20 minutes. The asparagus shouldn’t be too soft, as it will have to go back in the oven. Collect the asparagus stock (about 0.7 liters). Boil the potatoes, peel them, slice them and place them in a shallow, greased baking dish. The potatoes shouldn’t be too soft either, so I recommend waxy potatoes. Cut the ham into cubes and arrange them on top of the potato slices. Add the asparagus pieces. Heat the butter in a saucepan, sweat the flour in it, add the asparagus stock while stirring and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the processed cheese and crème fraîche. Season to taste with salt, pepper, nutmeg and a dash of lemon juice. Pour the sauce over the casserole. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for about 25 minutes. About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, sprinkle the grated Gouda over the casserole.