Savings for Sisters: Recipe - Chicken Asparagus Supreme

To say that our family has always enjoyed asparagus is an understatement. When I was growing up, the arrival of those lovely emerald spears each spring was cause for anticipation, then celebration, as Dad plucked them lovingly from his precious patch one by one, presenting fistfuls of fresh stalks to Mom with no small amount of fanfare. Our mouths watered at the thought of her creamed asparagus (yes, you read that right), steamed asparagus spears with Hollandaise sauce, and most of all, the queen of all casseroles, Chicken Asparagus Supreme. A generation later, our son, Dylan, would pester his grandma each spring to prepare his favorite concoction of cheesy, creamy, asparagus goodness and invite us to dinner. She always did, of course, until this year when Dylan on his mission and Mom laid up with a sprained ankle put a damper on the whole tradition. So Dad harvested the first batch and brought it to me with Mom's carefully handwritten instructions, and I made it last night with some trepidation, knowing how hard it can be to measure up to someone else's specialty. But when Dad helped Mom limp in to our table and the four of us hungrily dug in, everyone proclaimed it just as delicious as Mom's--thank goodness! You can make it too, whether the gangly green fellows are poking through the ground in your own patch or you pick up a couple of nice bundles at the grocery store. Give it a try! My easy instructions and photos are below.

Note: Asparagus ranks among the top 20 foods in regards to the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index, which measures vitamin, mineral, and phytonutrient content in relation to caloric content. It's loaded with nutrients. Asparagus is a very good source of fiber, folate, vitations A, C, E, and K, as well as chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells.

Chicken Asparagus Supreme

1/2 loaf day-old French Bread, cubed

6 Tbsp melted butter
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 cups asparagus pieces, cooked
3 cups cooked chicken (about 3 breasts)
1 cup canned chicken broth
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
½ stick butter
1/3 cup flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/3 tsp pepper

-First break the woody ends off each asparagus spear. This is easily accomplished by bending the spear, and it will naturally break at the right spot. Here is a photo I found of someone--not me--demonstrating this (although her hands really look like mine!) I forgot to take a picture when I was breaking mine.

-Next, wash your asparagus well.

-Slice it into bite-sized pieces.

-Measure out your 4 cups. If you have extra, just throw it in. I mean really, can you ever have too much asparagus?

-Steam the asparagus in a small amount of salted water until just tender--do not overcook, as it will be going into the oven later. It should still be bright green.

-When you can easily poke a toothpick into a piece, dump into a colander and run cold water over it to stop the cooking. Drain well and set aside.

-While all this is going on, your chicken should already be in the oven cooking. Lay breasts out in a shallow pan, salt them, add a little water, cover tightly with foil, and cook 30 to 45 minutes at 375 or until they are done in the center when you cut one in half. Cool and cube these up with a sharp knife. This could be done earlier in the day.

-Slice your french bread, then cut into cubes that are about the size of large croutons. You want about 4 good cups, total.

-Drizzle the bread cubes with the 6 Tablespoons of melted butter, stirring to coat evenly as if you were buttering popcorn.

-Now it 's time to make the sauce. Melt 1/2 stick butter in a large saucepan, and whisk in flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat a minute, stirring until smooth.