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❤️ Why you'll love it
- You can assemble it ahead of time and bake when needed.
- Crunchy bacon, creamy sauce, and gooey cheese - who doesn't love that?
- Just 5 ingredients and done in 30 minutes - it couldn't be easier!
Asparagus has a bad reputation - and for good reason! People have been overcooking it to a slimy, green mass of ooblek for years.
This cheesy asparagus casserole recipe with Ritz crackers redeems this much maligned vegetable in the most delicious way possible!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Cut fresh asparagus in bite sized pieces. Cook until crisp-tender.
- Drain and add a layer to a casserole dish.
- Top with half the cream of mushroom soup.
- Top with half the cheese. Repeat layers ending with cheese.
- Mix bacon grease (or butter) with the crushed crackers.
- Sprinkle on top of the casserole and then top with cooked bacon.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
🥫 Storage
You can assemble this easy recipe ahead of time and bake when you're ready to serve it.
Leave the cracker crumbs and bacon off until you are ready to bake it, however.
Refrigerate asparagus casserole, tightly covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
📖 Variations
- Make this creamy asparagus casserole recipe a main dish by adding cooked chicken or ham.
- You can substitute crispy french fried onions for the Ritz crackers on top.
- Substitute panko bread crumbs for the Ritz cracker crumbs.
- Broccoli, green beans, or cauliflower work well in this recipe, too.
- Almost any "cream of" soup can be substituted for the cream of mushroom. Cream of celery is especially good.
- Some people like hard-boiled eggs chopped up and mixed in with the soup layer.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Separate the tips of the asparagus and the stems after you cut the stalks up. Add the stalks to boiling water first and let them cook about 2 minutes before adding the tips. That way the stalks will be cooked through but the tips won't be mushy.
- Cover the ends with a wet paper towel and store in the fridge until ready to use. Use within a day or two.
- Don't overcook the asparagus. It will cook a bit more in the oven and you don't want it to be slimy.
- Choose plump, firm stalks of asparagus with tightly closed tips.
- Thicker asparagus stalks are better than the very thin ones.
- Don't wash or trim asparagus shoots until you are ready to use them in your recipe.
👩🍳 FAQs
The tops are tightly closed and the stalks look plump and moist. See tips above.
It's easiest to just snap off the ends. Hold the bottom part of the spear firmly and bend. It will break where the tenderest part of the asparagus stalk begins. This does result in a lot of waste. If this is a concern trim the stalks with a knife just above the woody part.
Yes. You can freeze it unbaked without the topping for up to 3 months. Just thaw overnight in the refrigerator, top with the cracker crumbs and bacon, and bake as directed.
You can also freeze it after it's been baked.
Thin asparagus is better for quick cook methods like stir frying while thick asparagus is better for steaming or roasting. You can use either in this recipe.
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📞 The last word
Asparagus is in season all spring long and there's no better way to serve it than in this creamy side dish!
Tender asparagus is covered in a creamy, cheesy sauce that's lick your plate delish!
If you love green bean casserole you'll love this recipe!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Asparagus Casserole with Ritz Crackers
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
- 9x9 casserole dish 2 quart baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 10.5 ounces cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup Ritz crackers
- ½ cup bacon, cooked, reserve 2 tablespoons bacon grease
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cut asparagus in bite sized pieces and separate the tips from the stalks.
- Add the stalks to salted, boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add the tips and cook for a minute or so more - or until the stalks are crisp-tender.
- Drain.
- Cook the bacon until crisp. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.
- Crumble the bacon and set aside.
- Crumble the crackers and set aside.
- Grease a 2 quart casserole dish and add half the cooked asparagus.
- Top with half the cream of mushroom soup.
- Add half the cheese and repeat the layers.
- Mix the reserved bacon grease with the cracker crumbs. You may substitute 2 tablespoons of melted butter if you like.
- Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
- Top with the crumbled bacon.
- Bake, uncovered, until heated through and bubbly, 25 - 30 minutes.
Notes
- Separate the tips of the asparagus and the stems after you cut the stalks up. Add the stalks to boiling water first and let them cook about 2 minutes before adding the tips. That way the stalks will be cooked through but the tips won't be mushy.
- Cover the ends with a wet paper towel and store in the fridge until ready to use. Use within a day or two.
- Don't overcook the asparagus. It will cook a bit more in the oven and you don't want it to be slimy.
- Choose plump, firm stalks of asparagus with tightly closed tips.
- Thicker asparagus stalks are better than the very thin ones.
- Don't wash or trim asparagus shoots until you are ready to use them in your recipe.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published March 12, 2021. Last updated November 29, 2022 for editorial improvements.
Reginald Deneau
Excellent recipe and very easy to prepare.
sue
I just made this--delicious! Had all the ingredients on hand. In fact, I had some cold leftover bacon from yesterday in the refrigerator and had saved the bacon grease. It made the recipe even easier to make. This was so tasty that I ate a big bowl of it for dinner. This is a good potluck dish, would just double or triple the recipe.
Janet
Even my non-asparagus-loving hubby likes this dish--
am going to try it with the new (hard to find!) Campbell's Cream of BACON soup! Sounds like a perfect dish to use it in!
Thanks for all your wonderful ideas and recipes!