Cheesy Baked Asparagus is an easy side dish made with Gruyere cheese, garlic, and bacon! You can also use Parmesan, Asiago Cheese, Pecorino Romano, or shredded Mozzarella (part-skim, low-moisture). This delicious recipe is low-carb and keto-friendly.
Cheesy Baked Asparagus - Simple and Rustic Side Dish
Sometimes, the best side dish is the one that uses just a handful of ingredients and takes only 30 minutes to make! This is that recipe!
This easy rustic dish requires just 5 ingredients (not counting salt and pepper): asparagus, cheese, bacon, olive oil, garlic. All these ingredients are low-carb and keto-friendly - a great choice for those who aim to cut carbs. Towards the bottom of the recipe, I also provide a list of low-carb, keto-friendly main dishes that will pair well with this cheesy baked asparagus, such as cream cheese chicken or trout recipe with garlic, lemon, and butter.
The beauty of this recipe is in its simplicity. The asparagus is drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with freshly minced garlic, and seasoned with salt and pepper. It's briefly baked to soften the asparagus. Tip: pay attention to how thick (or thin) your asparagus stalks are and adjust roasting time accordingly! Then it's smothered with freshly shredded cheese and chopped cooked bacon, and baked some more to melt the cheese.
What you have in the end is melty cheesy baked asparagus with a ton of flavor. And, the best thing is that you can make it as cheesy as you want by adjusting the amount of cheese to your liking.
Ingredients for cheesy baked asparagus
- Asparagus is a star ingredient in many side dishes. This wonderful and healthy vegetable is high in fiber and is a good source of calcium, magnesium, and zinc. It's also rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin K. Use this vegetable! It's so good for you.
- Cheese adds flavor and texture to this dish. I recommend using either Parmesan or Gruyere cheese, freshly shredded. I grate my own cheese right before using it in the recipe.
- Olive Oil adds flavor and helps asparagus acquire a nice texture when baked. Drizzle small amounts of it over asparagus before baking this dish in the oven.
- Garlic provides a lot of flavor and seasoning to the asparagus. Don't skip it and use a generous amount for a more bold flavor.
- Bacon adds salt and smokiness to the baked asparagus. This is not the recipe to use raw bacon. Use COOKED bacon. Pre-cook your bacon in advance. I prefer to cook the bacon in the preheated oven at 350 F for about 20 minutes. Drain the fat off, and chop it.
Best kind of cheese to use
Use the type of cheese that melts nicely in the oven and adds great flavor. The two top choices here are Parmesan cheese and Gruyere cheese. Both kinds of cheese melt beautifully into a smooth, silky texture. You can also use Asiago, Pecorino Romano, or shredded Mozzarella (part-skim, low-moisture).
Parmesan is a popular and obvious choice but I do urge you to try Gruyere. I made this recipe with Gruyere cheese and the flavor was exquisite. Gruyere cheese is a Swiss cheese with a distinctive flavor and it's great for melting. This cheese is often used for fondues as well as in a traditional French onion soup. You can't go wrong with Gruyere cheese in this baked asparagus.
How much cheese to use
This recipe uses 1 cup of freshly shredded Gruyere cheese over 1 pound of asparagus. I find that this amount is more than plenty. However, if you prefer your asparagus more cheesy, feel free to increase the amount of cheese by an additional ½ cup or double the amount of cheese.
How to bake asparagus in the oven
First, preheat the oven to 400 F. Trim the dry ends of the asparagus. Place asparagus in a medium-sized casserole dish.
Drizzle the asparagus with 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with salt and pepper, top with minced garlic.
Bake the asparagus, uncovered, for 10 minutes in the preheated oven at 400 F. Remove from the oven. The asparagus is almost done. Now is the time to add freshly shredded cheese (use Parmesan or Gruyere cheese) and chopped cooked bacon.
Bake for 10 more minutes, uncovered at 400 F, to melt the cheese and heat up the bacon. Serve immediately to enjoy this cheesy asparagus with freshly melted cheese!
What to serve with baked asparagus
Cheesy baked asparagus is a low-carb, keto-friendly side dish that will go well with any main course. Below, I provide a few recommendations - all of which are low-carb, high-protein, and keto-friendly.
- Hasselback Chicken is made with Spinach, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Cream Cheese, and Bacon.
- Cajun Chicken Bake with Bell Peppers is made with homemade Cajun seasoning and topped with cream cheese.
- Chicken Thighs with Creamy Mushroom Thyme Sauce is a great recipe to have for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.
- Trout with Garlic Butter Lemon Caper Sauce is a keto-friendly dinner rich in lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
- Basil Pesto Shrimp with Mushrooms is an excellent low-carb, high-protein, and keto-friendly main dish.
Other asparagus side dishes
Do you enjoy cheesy asparagus goodness? Here are a few more delicious suggestions:
- Ham and Cheese Asparagus - this dish doubles as both a side dish and the main course!
- Asiago Cheese Asparagus with Bacon - a perfect side dish for all kinds of meat and fish.
Cheesy Baked Asparagus with Gruyere cheese, Garlic, and Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 lb asparagus
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese (or Parmesan), shredded
- 5 slices bacon (cooked and chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Trim asparagus ends. Place asparagus in a medium-size casserole dish, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Top with minced garlic.
- Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven at 400 F for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.
- Sprinkle half of shredded Gruyere cheese (or Parmesan) all over asparagus. Then, add chopped cooked bacon. Top with the remaining half of shredded cheese.
- Bake for 10 more minutes, uncovered at 400 F. Serve immediately while the cheese is nice and melty!
- Important note: Pay attention to how thick (or thin) the asparagus stalks are. Thinner asparagus will cook faster. Thicker asparagus will take longer to cook. The cooking times should be adjusted accordingly. Also, adjust your cooking times depending on how you like your asparagus: soft or more crispy and crunchy.
Notes
- Use a whole bunch of asparagus. It is usually 1 lb or 1.5 lb. Trim off the dry ends of asparagus before adding it to the baking dish.
- Pre-prepare the ingredients. Cook bacon in advance, drain it and chop it. I usually cook the bacon in the preheated oven at 350 F for 20 minutes, then lay it on paper towels to remove extra grease. Chop or mince fresh garlic. Shred the cheese.
- Many types of cheeses will work in this recipe. Use the cheese that will melt nicely. My top 2 choices are Parmesan and Gruyere. You can also use Mozzarella or Asiago.
- Do not overcook the asparagus. Roast the asparagus for no more than a total of 20 minutes. Make sure the oven is preheated to 400 F. Add the cheese and cooked bacon only during the last 10 minutes.
- Step-by-step photos. If you are a visual person, I have provided quite a few step-by-step photos on how to make this cheesy baked asparagus above the recipe card.
- Storage. Baked asparagus can be refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- How to reheat. After refrigerating this dish, you can reheat it briefly in the microwave oven to melt the cheese. Or, bake it briefly in a regular oven when ready to serve. You can sprinkle extra cheese over the asparagus before reheating.
- What to serve with it? Above the recipe card, you will find a list of several low-carb, high-protein, keto-friendly main dishes that will pair well with this low-carb cheesy asparagus.
Looking for THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES?
- I have created a comprehensive recipe collection of 60 Thanksgiving side dishes conveniently categorized by ingredient: Green Beans, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, Potatoes, Acorn Squash, Spaghetti Squash, Asparagus, Broccoli, etc. It's a great resource to browse through for a last moment holiday inspiration! This side dishes will also work great for Christmas and New Year's Eve.
Looking for a complete THANKSGIVING MENU?
- Be sure to check out my 50 Best Thanksgiving Recipes (The Complete Holiday Menu) - it includes everything: Fall-inspired holiday appetizers, side dishes, salads, main courses, pasta recipes, desserts, and even breakfast. This holiday menu features proven, tried, and true Thanksgiving dishes that have been reader favorites for years (I've been publishing recipes since 2012).
Looking for THANKSGIVING salads?
- I have created a comprehensive recipe collection of 30 Thanksgiving salads - this collection exclusively features Thanksgiving salads that highlight Autumnal ingredients, such as apples, roasted butternut squash, sweet potatoes, beets, Brussels sprouts, green beans, pecans, cranberries, pears, pomegranates, mandarin oranges, pumpkin seeds, and the list goes on and on! These Fall salads will add freshness, colors, and vibrancy to otherwise heavy and creamy comfort food (stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes) that we often cook for the holidays. These salads would also be perfect for Christmas and New Year's Eve.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Thank you a fabulous recipe. Made today used Parmesan and Gruyere cheese. Definitely a keeper.
The combo of Parmesan and Gruyere is so good! 🙂
Cheesy Baked Asparagus with Bacon, Garlic, and Cheese is a fantastic triple treat: Easy, quick and delicious!! I used two pounds of asparagus as a Christmas dinner side dish for 8. There was still enough left over to enjoy for a couple of more meals at home. Cheese gets a bit rubbery when rewarmed in the microwave but that’s not the recipe’s fault. 5+ stars from our family and we have a new favorite way to serve asparagus!
Tami, I am happy this side dish was part of your Christmas dinner! ❤️ Thank you so much for taking the time to share this wonderful review and I am wishing you and your family a very happy New Year! ❤️
This made an excellent dish with bold flavors where each was evident. It also had a nice contrast in textures
Tom, I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe - thank you for your review! ❤️
Do you prosciutto would work in replace of bacon ? Tks
Cyndi, yes, prosciutto would work really well here. I would briefly crispy it up first for about 5 or 10 minutes separately from the asparagus, and then add it the crispy prosciutto in the last 10 minutes of roasting, together with the cheese.
Enjoy and Happy Holidyas!
Hello. This looks delicious. Do I need to spread the asparagus out while roasting it at 400 for 10 minutes? Or can I put it in baking dish in a few layers?
Kathy, no, you don't have to spread it out. For this particular recipe, as the photos show (scroll up above the recipe card) - I didn't spread out the asparagus on a sheet pan but just used a relatively small baking dish.
Can you make this the night before
Eileen, this is best made right before serving. Otherwise, the asparagus will get soggy and when you reheat the melted cheese, it could separate. But you can prep some steps ahead: cook and chop bacon in advance, prepare shredded cheese in advance.
If I were to use green beans instead of asparagus, how long would I roast them for?
Donna, if you use green beans - I would roast them at 400 F for 15 minutes, then top them with cheese and bacon and roast for about 5 minutes or longer.
Make sure the green beans are not wet - pat them dry with paper towels. And for the first 15 minutes of roasting spread them out on the baking sheet without overcrowding so that they don't steam.
It's an interesting recipe and it's quite delicious but you must have an awful lot of time on your hands. How about not beating a dead horse with every little tiny comment.
Maria, I am just trying to be respectful to everybody who comments by responding to them. I think your comment is meant to be quite good-natured and in good humor too since you left me a nice rating! 🙂
Says the person up at 5:05 am looking at asparagus recipes. At least Julia has the decency to reply to everyone in a respectful way which is way more than can be said for you. How about you try being decent, or don't comment at all. You are incredibly rude. Julia, thanks for taking the time to comment to everyone, even Maria and for posting awesome recipes. 🙂
Lisa, you are so kind - thank you for being supportive! 🙂 Enjoy the recipes and Happy Holidays! 🙂
It looks very good. I rarely eaten asparagus. I was wondering how would it be if I mix the cheese and put gruyere and parmesan in it.. Would both melt good in it.
May try this for Christmas.
David, Gruyere and Parmesan would make a great combo togehter - go for it! Happy Holidays!
This recipe was excellent. Both of my daughters scoffed it down and asked if there was more. Thank you for sharing.
Kurt, thank you so much for trying this recipe and glad everyone enjoyed it! 🙂
I tried and I'm going to make some for Thanksgiving it is an excellent recipe
William, I am glad the recipe was a success! It's perfect for the holidays!
How many will this serve
Jody, this makes 4 servings as a side dish.