DINNER PARTY WORTHY FRESH ASPARAGUS
There's nothing better than fresh asparagus & this is a very tasty way to serve it & impress for a company meal w/a chicken breast & green salad. Sadly fresh asparagus is rarely available here in Iceland & very expensive when I find it, so I don't fix this often like I did in the US. It can be prepared ahead, but don't refrigerate (read note below).
Provided by twissis
Categories Vegetable
Time 55m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Wash asparagus well & trim stem-ends so spears are 8" long. Parboil spears till just barely fork-tender, but still fairly crisp. Quickly drain & cover w/cold water to stop cooking process. Drain again when cool & set aside.
- Cut bacon slices crosswise, fry till crisp & drain well on paper towel.
- Slice ea egg crosswise into 6 slices.
- To assemble, pat asparagus spears dry w/paper towel & place equally in 6 groups in a 9"x13" baking dish. Top ea group w/1 sliced egg + equal amts of the crisped bacon pieces along their length & set aside.
- Microwave cream cheese in sml dish to soften & warm slightly. Set aside.
- Combine butter & flour over med-low heat to make a roux & gradually add milk. Use the flat a spatula to eliminate any lumps as you go.
- Do not overcook sauce. When milk has been added & the sauce is smooth & thickening, remove from heat & incorporate the softened cream cheese & lemon pepper seasoning salt.
- Spoon cream sauce over ea asparagus group, "dust" w/1 tbsp crushed croutons + sprinkle w/fresh chives or parsley.
- Bake in hot oven (400F) just till bubbling & serve immediately. (Can also microwave till heated through, but do not refrigerate as this will lengthen the cooking time & potentially cause the sauce to separate).
- NOTES: Sliced fresh mushrooms also work well as an addition -- For a 1-dish meal w/only a salad on the side, use this combo to stuff a well-pounded chicken breast & add mushrooms on top as a finishing touch.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 425.6, Fat 31.8, SaturatedFat 15, Cholesterol 274.7, Sodium 434.2, Carbohydrate 19.4, Fiber 3.6, Sugar 3.5, Protein 17.4
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