Asparagus Off the Cuff

Mike and I planned on grilling steaks and having some sort of frozen veggie tonight, and then we realized we had a bit of asparagus we needed to eat before it went bad. Upon looking at it, however, we also realized there wasn't quite enough for both of us to enjoy. And so, I whipped up a new side dish. I know you've had or heard of broccoli rice casserole, but we were dealing with asparagus here.

We had white rice in the pantry and a little shredded Cheddar in our deli drawer...Cheesy Asparagus Rice it is!

1) Cook 1 cup rice according to the package directions. While it's cooking...
2) Chop asparagus spears (a little less than half a bunch) into about 1-inch pieces (after trimming off the bottoms.) Saute those in 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoons butter. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons minced or pressed garlic (depending how how garlicky you like it.) Cook over medium-low to medium heat while the rice is simmering.

3) When the rice is done, add the asparagus and garlic and stir to combine. Stir in about 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese until melted and combined, adding chicken broth as needed to achieve the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Just two dirty pans!

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