It's the little black dress of vegetables.
Unlike other holiday celebrations, an Easter meal can be a lot of things. You can serve brunch with a quiche or breakfast casserole. You could have a lunchtime gathering with ham biscuits, deviled eggs, and salads. Or you could even do supper with a special main dish like roasted lamb and all the trimmings.
But there’s one side dish that belongs on your table no matter what you’re serving, what time you’re eating, or how fancy or casual your meal is: Asparagus with Cheese Sauce and Breadcrumbs. Trust me, it’s a winner.
Why This Is The Best Easter Side Dish
Pouring cheese sauce over cooked vegetables is nothing new, but this recipe has a few tricks up its sleeve.
- Cooking method: The asparagus is cooked quickly under the broiler, so that it’s tender-crisp and charred a bit – no mushy spears here.
- Cheese: The cheese sauce is a cream sauce with a heaping helping of Parmigiano-Reggiano, which gives it a nutty, salty flavor.
- Breadcrumbs: And the buttery breadcrumbs are flavored with red pepper, tarragon, parsley, and lemon zest to add texture and brightness to the dish.
When all of these elements combine, you’ve got a beautiful and seasonal vegetable dish that comes together in less than 30 minutes and is a whole lot more interesting than a bowl of mixed greens. Plus, it truly does pair with any main dish, from eggs to meat to seafood.
Tips On Making Asparagus With Cheese Sauce And Breadcrumbs
The one downside of making this dish is that you can’t prepare it in advance. It should be served soon after it is plated. That said, you can prep the ingredients ahead of time to save yourself some minutes in the kitchen on Easter Sunday. Trim and discard the woody stems from the asparagus and shred the cheese the day you plan to serve it.
This recipe works with thick or thin asparagus spears – choose whatever looks best at the grocery store.
What If I Hate Asparagus?
The cheesy sauce just might make you rethink this vegetable, but if you’re convinced that asparagus isn’t for you, try substituting the same amount of sugar snap peas. If you keep the pods whole, they will cook in about the same amount of time, although I would keep an eye on them as they broil.
This article was written by Lisa Cericola from Southern Living and was legally licensed through the DiveMarketplace by Industry Dive. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.
