I wouldn’t be surprised if one day I was strolling down the supermarket snack aisle and found a box of crispy asparagus tucked in with the Bugles and Cheetos. That’s right, asparagus. Coated in a cheesy breadcrumb mixture and baked to a golden crisp, these addictive spears are a family favorite. So put away the party mix – just assemble this ideal company-is-coming side dish in advance and pop it in the oven 15 minutes before dinner.

Ingredients

3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 large bunches of asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, whisk mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and salt.

3) On a large plate, combine panko and Parmesan.

4) Stalk by stalk, dip asparagus in mayonnaise mixture, followed by the panko mixture. Place crusted asparagus on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle the stalks with olive oil.

5) At this point you can place the tray in the refrigerator for a few hours before baking. To cook, bake 14-16 minutes, turning the asparagus halfway through cooking. Sprinkle with coarse salt before serving.

Serves 4

Spice up your menu with more magnificent Mexican eats, such as these Easy & Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas.

 

 

[media-credit name=”Bite Me More” align=”center” width=”150″][/media-credit]

Authors of bestselling cookbooks Bite Me, Bite Me Too and Lick Your Plate, saucy sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat love eating, feeding, entertaining and dishing up easy recipes at BiteMeMore.com.