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.
Nutrition
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.
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.