Ingredients
* 2 bunches asparagus
* 1 tbsp butter
* 1/2 oz cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
* 1 tbsp chicken broth
* 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
* 1/2 tsp garlic powder
* 1/4 tsp paprika
* 1/8 tsp salt
* 1/8 tsp pepper
* 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
* 1/8 cup pepper jack cheese, grated
* 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
* 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
* 1/3 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, wash and trim asparagus spears. Then place them in a 9 X 13 baking dish.
Add cream cheese, heavy cream, chicken broth, butter, garlic powder, and other seasonings to a saucepan. Turn stovetop onto medium heat, and stir until it’s combined.
(If you do not have garlic powder on hand, 1/4 tsp is equivalent to 2 garlic cloves, similarily you can use 1 tsp of minced garlic.)
Simmer the cream sauce until the heavy whipping cream begins to reduce and thicken. Continue to whisk so that the sauce does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Add parmesan and Monterrey Jack cheese. Stir until the cheeses are melted, and the sauce is completely smooth.
Pour the cheese sauce over the asparagus, then top with mozzarella cheese and crushed red pepper. This will add a slight kick to this asparagus casserole. (Feel free to leave it out if you are serving little ones or are sensitive to spicy foods.)
Bake the casserole for approx 15 minutes then cover with bacon crumbles. If you prefer your asparagus to be crunchier, you may want to adjust the cooking time down.
Finally, bake the cheesy asparagus casserole recipe for an additional 3 minutes. Salt and
