Creamy Asparagus and Rice Casserole

Why This Recipe is a Keeper!

Here’s a side dish you’re going to want to put on repeat! Whether it’s for your own elegant occasion or for something impressive to take to another get-together, Creamy Asparagus and Rice Casserole is perfect every time!

Creamy Asparagus and Rice Casserole is:

• Perfect for a spring special occasion like Easter.
• Make-ahead.
• Versatile! Add chicken or shrimp for a lovely, elegant main dish or serve as a vegetarian main dish.
• Creamy and delicious without processed CANNED SOUP!

How to Make Creamy Asparagus and Rice Casserole:

Recipe Ingredients:

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this asparagus casserole recipe. See the casserole recipe card below for the exact quantities.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

• Converted Rice: Also known as parboiled rice, converted rice is white rice that’s boiled briefly and then immersed in cold water to stop the cooking process. The parboiled rice is then dried and milled which means the outer husk and bran layers are removed.  Converted rice is super easy to cook so it’s a great choice if you’re a novice.
• Asparagus: Use medium to narrow-width fresh asparagus.
• Shallots: Shallots look like a small red onion. They are a member of the onion family so they are also related to leeks and garlic but they are slightly sweeter.
• Dry White Wine: You always want to cook with a wine that you would enjoy drinking. A bad wine or “cooking wine” can ruin your entire dish. Alcohol Substitute: Add additional broth with a tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Wine vinegar (red or white) generally only has a trace amount of alcohol. You can also use lemon juice.
• Heavy Cream: Can also use half-and-half or whole milk.
• Panko: Also known as Japanese bread crumbs, panko has a great coarse texture that works well for crispy toppings.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

• Gather and prep all the ingredients.
• Cook the rice according to package directions or use 2 1/2 cups plainly cooked leftover rice.
• Cut the asparagus into 1 to 2-inch lengths, reserving some full stalks for garnish.
• Prepare an ice bath. Blanch the asparagus in boiling, salted water for 30 seconds or so–just until it turns bright green. Immediately remove it from the boiling water then drop it into an ice bath to cool. Drain and pat dry.

• Make the creamy sauce.
• Heat butter and oil and cook the shallot until soft.
• Add the garlic and flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the wine and cook briefly.
• Add the chicken broth and cream.
• Bring that to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until it thickens.
• Take it off the heat and whisk in the cream cheese and half the Parmesan cheese. (NOTE: The sauce won’t be all that thick which is how you want it. The rice will soak up some of the sauce which helps to bind it. If the sauce is too thick, the casserole will be dry.)
• Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

• Combine the cooked rice, asparagus and cream sauce.

• Transfer to a prepared baking dish and mix up the Parmesan, panko and parsley topping.

• Top with the whole stalks and sprinkle more topping over them.
• MAKE AHEAD: The casserole can be covered and refrigerated at this point and baked one to two days later.

• Bake!
• Enjoy! Creamy Asparagus and Rice Casserole for a lovely spring side dish or vegetarian main dish you’ll be proud to serve!

Chef Tips and Tricks:

• To determine where to trim asparagus, bend one of the stalks in the lower 1/3 until it breaks. Where it breaks is where you should cut the remainder of the bunch as they’re all typically the same size in the bunch because they were probably growing next to each other.
• When blanching any vegetable, be sure the water is very generously salted. A personal chef mentor said it should taste like seawater. Have an ice bath ready. Drop the vegetable into the salted, boiling water and if it’s a green vegetable such as asparagus, remove it as soon as it turns bright green (which only takes seconds) then drop it into the ice bath. This process “shocks” the vegetable so the green color is set.

Serve with:

• Braised Pork Loin Roast in Dijon Mustard Sauce
• Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
• Crab-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
• Prosciutto-Wrapped Halibut with Herb – Caper Butter
• Parmesan and Herb-Crusted Lamb Chops

More lovely asparagus dishes!

• Asparagus Cordon Bleu
• Breakfast Strata with Asparagus Artichokes Ham and Gruyere
• Chicken Divan with Asparagus
• Roasted Asparagus with Walnut Gremolata and Goat Cheese

Be sure to check out all my side dish recipes here! Side Dish Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen