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A number of markets now have locally-grown asparagus for sale, and the vegetable, part of the lily family, offers plenty of vitamins and nutrients, particularly folate, “a nutrient needed to prevent anemia in pregnancy,” according to the National Institutes of Health. With such benefits, asparagus adds to the menu as a tasty side dish or entrée.

Though I prefer to eat fresh asparagus grilled with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese on top, making an asparagus casserole with chicken offers an easy entrée with the vegetable inside.

To make the recipe, you’ll need these ingredients:

1 pound of fresh asparagus
1 (10.5 oz.) can of cream of chicken soup
10.5 ounces of water
4 boneless chicken breasts
¼ teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon of pepper
¼ cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup of shredded parmesan cheese

Thoroughly wash and slice the tough ends off of the asparagus. Then, cut the asparagus crosswise. Brush a small amount of canola oil across the asparagus and grill them for one minute on a table top grill. If you don’t have a grill, you can heat the pieces in a frying pan.

Then, place the asparagus on the bottom of a casserole dish. I prefer grilling the asparagus, instead of boiling it, to avoid losing nutrients.

Next, slice the chicken breasts into strips and grill both sides of the chicken strips for about 30 seconds and place the breasts on top of the asparagus in the dish.

While the asparagus and/or chicken strips grill, heat for about eight minutes the cream of chicken soup, 10.5 ounces of water, salt, pepper and Monterey Jack cheese in a sauce pan until the cheese has melted and the mixture is creamy. (You can also substitute the can of soup with equal portions of evaporated milk and chicken broth.) For a thicker sauce, add a tablespoon of cornstarch or 2 tablespoons of flour.

When thickened, pour the creamy mixture on top of the chicken breasts and asparagus.

Sprinkle the casserole with the ¼ cup of parmesan cheese and just a sprinkling of Monterey Jack cheese. Place the casserole in a preheated, 375-degree oven. Bake for about 25 minutes.

Serve the asparagus and chicken casserole, and enjoy.

   – Bobbie Whitehead