May 12, 2010

Asparagus & Tomato Bake

Asparagus, bell peppers, casserole, cheese, tomatoes, vegetable side, Vegetarian Recipes

Presented by

21 ratings

Prep time: 22 minutes
baking time 24 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6
Partner: Oven-Fried Chicken

When the family longed for warm weather, Grandma made this comfort food.

Ingredients

2 (8-ounce) packages frozen asparagus spears, thawed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon chopped green bell pepper
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons each granulated sugar, cornstarch and water
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon dillseed
4 ounces Cheddar cheese, cubed
1/2 cup butter-flavored cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 × 9-inch baking dish.
2

Cook asparagus using package directions; drain. Press with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Place half the asparagus in prepared baking dish.
3

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet until hot. Sauté celery and bell pepper in hot oil for 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, granulated sugar, cornstarch and water. Cook, stirring continually, until mixture is thickened, about 2 minutes.
4

Spoon half of the tomato mixture over asparagus in baking dish. Sprinkle with half the seasoned salt and half the dillseed.
5

Repeat layers of asparagus, tomato mixture, seasoned salt and dillseed. Arrange the Cheddar on top of the layers. Combine the cracker crumbs and butter in a small bowl; toss to coat. Sprinkle over Cheddar. Bake until golden brown, about 24 minutes. Serve immediately.

Grandma's Secret Trick

When Grandma needed to cut asparagus into bite-size pieces, she made short work of the task. She used a good sharp knife, a cutting board and a simple idea. She laid three or four aspragus spears side by side on the cutting board. Then, holding them together with one hand, she used the knife to cut through all of the spears at once.