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Home » Side Dishes + Vegetables » Cheesy Baked Asparagus Gratin Recipe

Cheesy Baked Asparagus Gratin Recipe

Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon Jessica Randhawa
November 17, 2020
4.83 from 75 votes


Last Updated November 17, 2020 | 12 Comments

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Made with a handful of simple ingredients like fresh garlic, cream, and two kinds of cheese, this Cheesy Baked Asparagus Gratin is rich, creamy, and super easy to prepare. Enjoy this easy and delicious creamy baked asparagus recipe with your favorite dinner or as a side at your next holiday gathering.

Cheesy Baked Asparagus Gratin in a white oval baking dish.

This is, hands down, the most delicious baked asparagus recipe you will ever make.

In fact, I may even go so far as saying that it is one of my top five favorite side dishes – right up there with my mashed sweet potatoes, creamed corn, shredded Brussels sprout salad, and glazed carrots.

If you’re looking for a fast and delicious side dish recipe to serve for the holidays or with your favorite weeknight baked chicken, you’ll love this asparagus recipe!

What You Need

  • asparagus
  • fresh garlic
  • red chili flakes (optional)
  • heavy cream
  • parmesan Cheese
  • mozzarella Cheese
  • fresh thyme

A couple of notes before I move on to the cheese.

First, this recipe calls for a pretty fantastic amount of fresh garlic (at least if you’re asking me). If you’re not a garlic lover, or you hate the lingering smell of garlic breath, then you may want to consider scaling back a wee bit.

Second, feel free to replace the asparagus with another type of veggie. Like broccoli! or Brussels sprouts! or cauliflower! or even gross (jk) green beans!

Best Cheese for this Asparagus Gratin Recipe

You’ll notice that I used mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese in this recipe. I choose mozzarella because it’s a fantastic melting cheese (pizza, anyone?) and pretty mild in flavor. Parmesan, on the other hand, is much bolder in flavor (one of my favorites) and, like mozzarella, is readily available at all supermarkets.

Other fantastic cheeses for this recipe include,

  • Gruyère
  • Fontina
  • Taleggio

Raw asparagus and garlic in a white oval baking dish.

How to Make Cheesy Baked Asparagus Gratin

Lucky for all of us food-loving people, this is one seriously easy recipe.

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Wash, dry, and trim the ends of each asparagus spear (about 1/2 to 1-inch).
  2. Transfer the asparagus to an oval 9″x13″ baking dish (or equivalent) and toss with the slivered garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and fresh thyme. 
  3. Drizzle the heavy cream over the asparagus and sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. 
  4. Transfer to the oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes.
  5. Once the 20 minutes is complete or the asparagus is nearly tender, set your oven to broil. Allow the asparagus and cheese to broil for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1 minute. Best enjoyed immediately.

In other words, dump everything in an oval baking dish and bake until asparagus is tender and cheese is bubbly.

Raw asparagus,garlic, and cream in a white oval baking dish.

Why you’ll love this Creamy Baked Asparagus

  • It’s the perfect harmony of healthy baked with guilty, creamy, cheesy goodness.
  • The garlic. Yes, my friends. Keep a pack of gum or breath mints nearby because there is a lot of garlic in this mighty side dish and it is worth every last clove.
  • Prep takes just 5 minutes!
  • Speaking of prep…you can easily prepare this side dish ahead of time and pop it in the oven 20 minutes before dinnertime.
  • Your kid may just learn to love asparagus…but don’t take my word for it, my child still refuses to come anywhere near the stuff.

Baked asparagus covered in melted cheese and rich cream.

More Side Dish Recipes,

10 Minute Garlic Bok Choy Recipe

Peas and Pancetta- Easy Holiday Side

Creamy Grape Salad Recipe

Maple Roasted Delicata Squash Recipe

Instant Pot Corn on the Cob

If you try making this Cheesy Baked Asparagus Gratin Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to read your thoughts and feedback!

Baked asparagus in a white oval baking dish with melted cheese and garlic.

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A bowl Asparagus Gratin

Cheesy Baked Asparagus Gratin

4.83 from 75 votes
Chef: Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked SpoonJessica Randhawa
Made with a handful of simple ingredients like fresh garlic, cream, and two kinds of cheese, this Cheesy Baked Asparagus Gratin is rich, creamy, and super easy to prepare. 
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 as a side
Calories 201 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2.5 pounds asparagus - woody ends trimmed
  • 8 cloves garlic - slivered
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese - freshly grated
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese - freshly grated
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Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Transfer asparagus to an oval 9"x13" baking dish. Sprinkle with the slivered garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and fresh thyme. Gently toss the asparagus to distribute the garlic evenly among the layered asparagus spears.
  • Drizzle the heavy cream over the asparagus and sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Gently shuffle the asparagus spears to distribute some of the cheese among the lower layers of the asparagus.
  • Transfer to the oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until asparagus spears are tender and cheese is melted.
  • Set oven to broil. Allow the cheese to broil for 1-2 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1 minute. Best enjoyed immediately.

Jessica's Notes

  1. Feel free to substitute the heavy whipping cream with half and half, if desired.
  2. Recipe adapted from delish
Originally published November 27, 2018

Nutritional Information

Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 459mg | Potassium: 434mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1960IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 258mg | Iron: 4.3mg

(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)

Keyword Baked Asparagus Gratin, Baked Asparagus Recipe, Cheesy Baked Asparagus
Did You Make This Recipe? Tag it Today!Mention @theforkedspoon or tag #theforkedspoon and please leave your star rating in the comment section below.

About Jessica

Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon

Jessica Randhawa is the head chef, photographer, and recipe developer of The Forked Spoon. Jessica fell in love with cooking while traveling through Asia and Europe, where she discovered her passion for good food and new adventures. Her recipes have been featured on Yahoo, MSN, USA Today, FeedFeed, and many more. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California.

18.4K shares
Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon

About Jessica Randhawa

Jessica Randhawa is the head chef, photographer, and recipe developer of The Forked Spoon. Jessica fell in love with cooking while traveling through Asia and Europe, where she discovered her passion for good food and new adventures. Her recipes have been featured on Yahoo, MSN, USA Today, FeedFeed, and many more. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California.

Comments

  1. Kari Steinmetz says

    February 26, 2023 at 1:12 pm

    Should this be baked covered or uncovered? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked SpoonJessica Randhawa says

      February 26, 2023 at 1:59 pm

      uncovered is fine 🙂

      Reply
  2. Nana says

    April 29, 2022 at 12:51 pm

    5 stars
    Really Delicious !
    Just a thought…can this be put together 2-3 hours before baking ?

    Reply
    • Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked SpoonJessica Randhawa says

      April 29, 2022 at 1:07 pm

      I don’t see why not. You should keep it in the refrigerator and you may have to add a little more time.

      Reply
      • Nana says

        April 29, 2022 at 2:01 pm

        5 stars
        Thank you, Jessica . This asparagus dish is delicious and our guests raved 😊

  3. Sara says

    March 21, 2021 at 6:12 am

    Awesome recipe!!! And really easy. Thanks

    Reply
  4. Stella says

    June 15, 2020 at 3:07 pm

    5 stars
    Everyone enjoyed this recipe, best asparagus I have ever eaten. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked SpoonJessica Randhawa says

      June 15, 2020 at 4:38 pm

      Thanks for the kind feedback Stella 🙂

      Reply
  5. Kimberly says

    August 21, 2019 at 2:49 pm

    5 stars
    Yummy

    Reply
  6. Jessica Heavner says

    August 20, 2019 at 5:05 pm

    5 stars
    #theforkedspoon it was delicious!!!! I used parmesan and NY style white cheddar served with marinated salmon.

    Reply
  7. Mary Lucy Glockner says

    June 27, 2019 at 5:56 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing! I’m making this for the second time in 2 weeks at my family’s urging.

    Reply
  8. Dorothy says

    April 22, 2019 at 5:08 pm

    4 stars
    Way to much garlic for me.

    Reply

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Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon

I’m Jessica! Aka mom, wife, chef, and travel-obsessed photographer. Welcome to The Forked Spoon. Here you can browse hundreds of incredible family-friendly recipes covering dozens of diets, courses, and cuisines. Learn more about me.

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