Spare Spoons Kitchen
Aunt Betty’s Comfort Kitchen · Vegetables
Asparagus Casserole
A pantry side from a can — layers of asparagus and crushed saltines bound in cream of celery soup, topped with cheese and baked. Old-fashioned, fast, and comforting.
Effort ●○○○
Time ●●○○ Anytime
Vegetarian
Servingsamounts scale to match
6
Units
Ingredients
Use the asparagus liquid to thin the soup. Stirring the reserved canning liquid into the condensed soup makes a pourable sauce that seeps around the layers — work it around the edges as you pour. Cheese and a few crumbs on top give it a browned crust.
Easier, if you like
- Crushed Ritz in place of saltines makes a richer, buttery top.
- Hard-boiled egg slices layered in turn it into the old-school church-supper version.
Method
Cook's notes
Save the asparagus liquid — it's what thins the condensed soup into a sauce; without it the casserole is too stiff.
Vegetarian as written (cream of celery has no meat — check the label).
A handful of toasted slivered almonds in the layers is a classic addition.
Fresh or frozen asparagus works too — blanch briefly and use a splash of broth or milk in place of the canning liquid.
Vegetarian as written; easy to make gluten-free
Gluten-free: use gluten-free crackers and a gluten-free cream of celery soup.
Vegetarian: it already is — just confirm the soup brand.