Ultimate cheesy asparagus casserole with surprising shrimp is a seafood lovers side dish dream.
Incredibly easy to make, this shrimp and asparagus casserole takes no time at all to prep!
And with crunchy fried onions on top, this side dish is savory in every last bite.
Cheesy Shrimp and Asparagus Casserole with Fried Onion Topping
Totally simple to assemble, you can use canned, frozen, or fresh vegetables to create your Shrimp and Asparagus casserole.
Just make sure all ingredients are fully cooked and cooled before assembling if you choose to go fresh.
Scroll to the bottom for a printable version of this post, including all measurements and instructions, so you can follow along in your kitchen without being on your phone.
Here is what you need to gather to get started:
- cream cheese
- cream of cheddar cheese soup
- shrimp (see information on canned vs fresh shrimp)
- asparagus
- french fried onions
- salt and pepper
Can I use Frozen Asparagus over canned?
Yes, you can. I understand a lot of people do not prefer canned vegetables.
You can use cooked, drained, and cooled frozen asparagus in place of canned asparagus.
I try to offer both recipe options for readers since not all ingredients are available in every area. The main thing to remember with any vegetable that isn’t raw, is draining out excess water before assembling the casserole.
Other recipes on Salty Side Dish that use asparagus:
- Oven baked cheesy asparagus
- Asparagus stuffed chicken
- Creamy goat cheese and asparagus Pizza
- Garlic Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Roasted new potatoes and asparagus spears
- Crispy Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Canned, Frozen, or Fresh Shrimp?
I learned something recently at my local Publix seafood counter. I came in for fresh shrimp and they were out and she said she would have to prep some.
She told me that the shrimp they use in the case is the frozen shrimp in the freezer next to the counter and all they do is defrost it for you – exact shrimp.
So in this case, getting frozen or fresh really didn’t make a difference.
Now I am not a huge fan of canned seafood (with the exception of white tuna) but canned shrimp can also work in a pinch for a casserole like this.
You either need
- (2) 4 oz cans of drained shrimp
- 8 oz of fresh shrimp – 18 large fresh shrimp or 20 medium shrimp is close to this measurement if you do not have a kitchen scale.
Other recipes on Salty Side Dish that use shrimp:
Oven Baked Asparagus Casserole
Preheat oven to 400 and grease a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
If you are using fresh shrimp for this recipe, you will need to prep and cook your shrimp first.
I suggest sauteing them in butter before moving onto the next step.
In a bowl add cream cheese and soup and mix well. Stir in cooked shrimp and season with salt and pepper.
Place asparagus into the bottom of the casserole dish and top with cheese mixture.
Spread evenly across the top.
Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and discard.
Top with onions and return to oven for 10 minutes.
Casserole will be hot and bubbly around the edges. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Serves 10-12
Make sure you come back and tell me any changes you made, if you loved it and always be sure to share with me your pictures on social media by tagging with #SaltySideDish
Baked Cheesy Asparagus Casserole with Shrimp
Ingredients
- 12 oz softened cream cheese
- 1 can 10.5 oz, cream of cheddar cheese soup
- 8 oz shrimp
- 3 cans 10.5 oz each, cut asparagus, drained
- 1 package 6 oz, french fried onions
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 and grease a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- THIS STEP ONLY IF COOKING FRESH SHRIMP: Cook 8 oz of shrimp, sauteing in butter, for casserole. Fresh shrimp equals approx 18 large shrimp or 20 medium shrimp. Its not a big deal if you are off too much as this is a casserole dish.
- In a mixing bowl, add softened cream cheese and cream of cheddar soup and mix well - hand held mixer works well when working with cream cheese blocks.
- Stir in cooked shrimp and season bowl with salt and pepper.
- Place asparagus into the bottom of the casserole dish. If you are using canned, make sure asparagus is drained completely to avoid extra moisture. If you are using frozen, make sure asparagus is properly steamed, drained of excess water, and cooled before next step.
- Spread cream cheese mixture evenly across the top of the asparagus in the casserole dish.
- Cover casserole with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove foil and discard.
- Top with crispy fried onions and return to oven for 10 minutes.
- Asparagus Casserole will be hot and bubbly around the edges.
- Let stand 5 minutes before serving to firm.
- Serves 10-12
Notes
- When making a casserole recipe like this one, there are several options for a topping. I always prefer crunchy fried onions, however you can also use crushed up croutons, Ritz crackers, or even ruffles potato chips on your shrimp and asparagus casserole.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying of full recipe to any social media is prohibited.
