Cheesy Asparagus Casserole

Ingredients :

2 bunches of asparagus

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 ounce soft cream cheese

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/8 cup Pepper Jack cheese, shredded

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/3 cup cooked and crumbled bacon

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. – Wash and trim the asparagus, then grease a 9 x 13 baking tray and place them in it. In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the soft cheese, heavy whipping cream, chicken broth, garlic powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stirring constantly until ingredients are well blended.

Reduce the heat to medium/low and bring the sauce to a simmer until the heavy whipping cream has reduced and thickened. Keep whisking until it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. It will take a few min for the sauce to reduce & thick. Once thick, add the Parmesan cheese and Pepper Jack cheese and continue to stir until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth. Pour the cheese sauce over the asparagus in the middle of the casserole, avoiding the tops of the asparagus. Next, sprinkle mozzarella cheese and crushed red pepper flakes over the cheese sauce.

Bake for 15 minutes. If you prefer crunchy asparagus, you can reduce the baking time by 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven and add bacon crumbs to the top. Bake for another 3 minutes and Enjoy!