This is truly the BEST asparagus casserole recipe ever! Tender asparagus gets a sharp cheddar cream sauce treatment with crispy, crunchy Ritz crackers for topping in only ten ingredients. I love this with cheesy baked rice (trust) as a side dish to weeknight cast iron NY strip steak or a fancier meal such as prime rib roast with chocolate chess pie for dessert.
When it comes to Thanksgiving, there's a balance of "we always have that," and "let's try something new," you know?
This is my favorite casserole, but I'd also venture that it's the best Thanksgiving side dish ever. It's the perfect line between "super classic" and "a little updated," and let's just take a moment to bow to the Casserole Gods of Thanksgiving. They love us, and we love them, largely due to the Ritz cracker topping.
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Recipe Notes
- Quick: The total best thing about this is that we throw the asparagus in RAW so it cooks and softens in the oven but doesn't get brown and mushy, thanks but no thanks.
- Can I Add Eggs? There are also some old fashioned asparagus casserole recipes that include hard boiled eggs? I didn't include them here but, if you're into hard boiled eggs, throw some chopped hard boiled eggs into the casserole with the bowl when you add the cheese. Let me know how it is!
- Asparagus Variations: I use fresh asparagus in this casserole (which makes it a perfect Easter dinner recipe when asparagus is in season, but I have made this with frozen AND canned asparagus and it works great in all the ways. Promise.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Variations
- Asparagus: The most important part of this asparagus casserole! I use fresh asparagus, but many have used frozen and canned asparagus over the years with great results. For frozen or canned asparagus, be sure to squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible so the casserole doesn't end up too watery.
- To make this gluten free, skip the flour and instead whisk 2 teaspoons cornstarch into the milk mixture BEFORE streaming it into the onion skillet. Stream in the milk/cornstarch mixture, and proceed with the rest of the recipe. Swap the crackers for a gluten free cracker or crushed chip of your choice.
- YES there is mayonnaise in here and I don't want to hear a thing about it, it tastes delicious and you 100% will not know it is in there, mayo-haters. I see you, I validate you (I'm kidding, this isn't a mental health issue), but trust me the flavor added is a good one, and the texture is important. Don't skip it. If you need a mayo-free asparagus recipe, I love this 5-minute Vegan Broiled Asparagus as an alternative.
- Cheddar Cheese: Feel free to swap the cheese for any grated melty cheese that you like. Swiss or Fontina cheese are both really yummy!
- Ritz Cracker Topping: I think that Ritz crackers are the true queen of casserole toppings BUT panko bread crumbs or regular bread crumbs are delicious too! Just mix about ½ cup bread crumbs with 2 tablespoons melted butter and use them just like you would crushed crackers.
- Protein: Many readers have commented that adding 1-2 cups of cooked shredded chicken makes this an entire meal for their family. Definitely do that.
For full recipe instructions and ingredient list with quantities, see the recipe card below.
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Step By Step Instructions
- Start by crushing the Ritz crackers and setting them aside for the topping once the casserole is done.
- Next, add the asparagus, mayonnaise, and grated cheese to a large bowl, and set that aside (we're just prepping everything, then making the sauce, then assembling the casserole).
- Now, make the cream sauce that brings the casserole together. In a medium pan, cook the onion and garlic with a sprinkle of salt and drizzle of oil over medium heat until very soft, then sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir to form a paste.
- Let the flour mixture cook for 1-2 minutes until the flour is no longer dry (add another drizzle of oil if needed). Then, very slowly drizzle in the milk, stirring as you go, to incorporate the flour into the milk and thicken the sauce. Let the sauce bubble for 1 minute, add more salt and pepper to taste (it should be right on the edge of too salty to flavor all the unseasoned asparagus), and turn the heat off the sauce.
- Pour the mixture over the bowl with the asparagus and cheese, and stir to combine everything evenly. Scoop the casserole mixture into a baking dish, and sprinkle the Ritz crackers all over.
- At this point you can bake the casserole immediately at 375F for 45-50 minutes, or cover the casserole and bake it right when you'd like to serve.
Make Ahead and Leftover Storage
You can make this in advance and bake it on Thanksgiving (or on a Tuesday, whatever), just keep it in the fridge for a few days before you want to eat it. If you're worried about oven space, you can also bake this halfway, for 15 minutes or so, then finish cooking the casserole on the day of your big meal.
Leftovers are really delicious in the fridge for at least 3 days, and can be reheated in the microwave.
PS this works perfectly with broccoli so you could totally double the cheese sauce ingredients and make 2 casseroles that are identical but with different veggies.
What to Serve with Asparagus Casserole
- For a weekend dinner, I'd serve this with a roast chicken and some baked mushroom rice. YUM.
- For Thanksgiving, a smoked turkey breast, healthy green bean casserole, baked mashed potatoes (another make ahead dish!), and roasted brussels sprouts are always at the top of my list.
- Pro Tip: If you have extra asparagus, it is very very yummy in spring vegetable risotto - cut up a little extra and make it part of your meal prep for both recipes!
More Easy Casserole Recipes
Recipe
Asparagus Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds asparagus trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated
- ½ onion diced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup milk
- salt and pepper
- 15 Ritz crackers or similar crushed
Instructions
- Place the asparagus, mayo, and cheese together in a large bowl.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add the onion with a drizzle of oil. Saute the onion for about 5 minutes until soft and slightly browned. Sprinkle the garlic and flour all over the onion mixture. Stir to create a roux and let the flour cook for a minute or two.
- Very slowly pour the milk into the skillet, stirring as you go to incorporate the milk into the flour mixture. Let the milk sauce come to a bubble. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- When the milk sauce is slightly thick, pour it into the bowl with the asparagus and other ingredients. Stir to mix everything together, and pour the mixture into a baking dish, 9x13 or similar. Sprinkle the crushed crackers over the casserole.
- Bake the asparagus casserole at 375F for 40-50 minutes or until the asparagus is just tender and the cheese is bubbly. Broil the top for one minute if you'd like to brown the crackers. Serve. Eat. Enjoy!
Notes
- Asparagus: This works beautifully with fresh asparagus, but canned/drained asparagus or thawed frozen asparagus are also delicious in this casserole.
- Make this in advance up to the baking step, it will keep in the fridge for 3 days or so. Then bake right before eating.
- To make this gluten free, skip the flour and instead whisk 2 teaspoons cornstarch into the milk mixture BEFORE streaming it into the onion skillet. Stream in the milk/cornstarch mixture, and proceed with the rest of the recipe. Swap the crackers for a gluten free cracker or crushed chip of your choice.
This recipe was originally published in 2017 and has been updated with more information and tips and tricks to help it turn out perfectly every time!
RaeWhitty says
I made this casserole, and it is out of this world. I used fresh asparagus. I pretty much kept true to the recipe, but I did squeeze in a little lemon just before cooking. I only used 1/2 the crackers on top but did add more cheese on top, we love cheese. I will be making this easy recipe again.
Patti Goodman says
My husband and I both love asparagus and we eat it often, but I usually just toss them with some EVOO and a few seasonings, then toss them in the air fryer with cherry tomatoes. As much as we love that, we're kind of burnt out on it, so I wanted to try something different. I loved the idea of this being a casserole, because, who doesn't love casseroles?? They do, however, often get a bad reputation because of all the cheese and good stuff that goes into it, which turns them into fat bombs....but this one seemed doable! I made a few small tweaks and it turned out awesome! I didn't have any Ritz crackers, so I used saltines, which I crushed and tossed in melted butter. Also, I used 1/2 cup of half and half mixed with a half cup of water to make it more milk like. I also used half sharp cheddar and half Monterey jack. The only mayo I had was Kraft avocado mayo, which we love, so it all turned out perfect without breaking the calorie bank! I will def. be making this again, probably for turkey day! Just know that it is also great on a plain ol Sunday, too!
Lindsay says
Patti, I'm so glad you liked the recipe and these adjustments sound like they worked perfectly! I agree, I love this for a holiday OR just a regular dinner!
Ch says
Can you sub in fresh green beans in place of the asparagus?
Lindsay says
Absolutely, yep! I've used broccoli florets as well.
Bernadette says
We grow fresh asparagus and I'm always looking for new recipes. This one intrigued me and I am so thankful I tried it. It was amazing delicious
Andrea says
This was a huge hit at Thanksgiving this year! The only thing to know is to prepare much longer than for a 15 minute prep time.
Lindsay says
Thanks for the note! I agree, prep time is always a strange thing for me to write because it varies so widely from kitchen to kitchen (are you chopping asparagus? are you including making the cream sauce in cook time or prep time?), so I'm glad you mentioned this!
Suzie McCullough says
Can you use bread crumbs instead of crushed crackers?
Lindsay says
Absolutely! Both are delicious.
beverly toliver says
I have made this several times & my family loves it!! I want to make this for Thanksgiving dinner but I need to know if it can be made and frozen then baked on the day of?
Lindsay says
Beverly, I'm so glad you like the casserole! The short answer is: yes, and it depends. If you're using canned or frozen/thawed asparagus it will work great. Fresh asparagus is a little trickier since freezing it and thawing it from raw (in the casserole) may make the casserole more watery than you'd like. To make this in advance I'd blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 1 minute then drain it really well and make the casserole as usual. You can also make the casserole up to 3 days in advance and keep it in the fridge, then bake it that way. Let me know what option you go with!
Julie says
I have made this many times it’s delicious! For Thanksgiving I made it the night before (fresh asparagus used). Let it cool, put in the fridge. The next day I heated it for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees before dinner. I did double the recipe so heat up time might not be as long.
Lindsay says
Perfect adjustments, thanks for reporting back!