Elevate your brunch table with these easy asparagus puff pastry appetizers. Asparagus is wrapped in prosciutto and laid on shredded aged cheddar, then wrapped in puff pastry and baked to flaky golden goodness. Served with a warm aged cheddar sauce. Perfect as an appetizer or for an Easter brunch or dinner table.
This puff pastry-wrapped asparagus is the perfect Spring appetizer! Inside each packet is a bit of Dijon mustard, shredded cheese and asparagus. Take it up a notch by wrapping the asparagus in prosciutto as well. Serve warm with warmed cheese sauce spooned over the top.
You can assemble the puff pastry ahead and refrigerate it, then bake when needed. The easy cheese sauce can also be made ahead and reheated. A great make-ahead appetizer for Easter brunch, lunch or dinner.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Puff Pastry – Frozen puff pastry comes in a range of sizes. The brand I used was 1 lb (450g) and had two sheets, about 10×10 inches each. Each sheet made four 5×5-inch squares or 8 asparagus puff pastries in total.
Asparagus – One typical bunch of asparagus should be sufficient to make 8 packets.
Aged white cheddar – A nice mature white cheddar is perfect for this asparagus appetizer. You’ll get a ton of flavour for just a bit of cheese.
Prosciutto (optional) – If you’d like, you can wrap the asparagus spears in prosciutto before baking.
How to make asparagus puff pastry with cheese sauce
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Scroll down to the Recipe Card below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
Step 1: Cut a sheet of thawed puff pastry into 4 equal pieces.
Step 2: Brush a bit of Dijon mustard diagonally on each square of puff pastry.
Step 3: Wrap 3-5 asparagus spears in prosciutto and place on top of some shredded cheese.
Step 4: Wrap the sides of the puff pastry in and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 5: Brush the puff pastry with egg wash.
Step 6: Season with some salt and pepper before baking. You can make them to this point, cover and refrigerate and bake later!
Step 7: Make the cheese sauce by cooking butter, flour and milk, then adding shredded cheese.
Step 8: Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. The cheese sauce can be made ahead and reheated to serve!
Recipe tips!
- Be sure to brush the egg wash under the overlapped puff pastry to be sure it stays in place during baking.
- The prosciutto is optional. Simply omit for a meat-free asparagus puff pastry. I tend to use a bit more shredded cheese inside the packets if not using the prosciutto.
- I think these look nicest with an odd number of asparagus spears. My spears were quite skinny here, so I used 5. For stalkier asparagus, go with 3.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
The cheese sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Rewarm in a saucepan, adding a splash of milk if needed to loosen the sauce when reheating.
The puff pastries can be assembled several hours before baking. Cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Freezing is not recommended for the pastries (the asparagus won’t hold up well). Freezing isn’t recommended for the cheese sauce, as the texture may change from the freeze/thaw process.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email and I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Seasons and Suppers.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
Get the Recipe: Asparagus Puff Pastry with Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
For the puff pastry asparagus:
- 1 lb puff pastry, thawed
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 cups aged cheddar cheese, shredded
- 24-40 spears asparagus, (3-5 spears per pastry), woody ends trimmed off
- olive oil, for brushing asparagus
- 8 slices prosciutto, optional
For the egg wash:
- 1 large egg, beaten
For the cheese sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1 cup milk, 2-3% recommended
- 2 cups aged cheddar cheese, grated
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- pinch nutmeg
Instructions
For the cheese sauce (can be made ahead):
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Once the butter is melted, add the flour and dry mustard. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. The mixture will be thick and clumpy.
- Using a whisk, slowly add the milk while whisking continuously. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Cook the sauce, whisking regularly, until the sauce visibly thickens.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the cheese. Stir until the cheese is completely melted into the sauce. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and a grating of nutmeg. Keep warm over low heat to use immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Rewarm over low heat in a saucepan, adding a splash of milk if needed to thin the sauce, if needed.
For the asparagus puff pastries:
- Preheat the oven to 400F (non-convection/not fan-assisted). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cut the puff pastry into 8 equal pieces (5×5 to 6×6 inch-ish squares). Take one piece of puff pastry and brush or spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard in a strip roughly 1-inch wide, running from one corner to the opposite corner. Sprinkle some shredded cheese over the Dijon mustard (3-4 Tablespoons of cheese each).
- Take 3-5 asparagus spears and brush lightly with olive oil. (Use 3 for thicker asparagus or 5 for thinner asparagus.) Wrap the middle of the asparagus bundle with prosciutto (if using). Place the asparagus on top of the shredded cheese, with the tips and stalks of the asparagus extending past the top and bottom of the pastry square.
- With a pastry brush, brush a little of the beaten egg onto the uncovered corners of the puff pastry. Fold the corners over the asparagus, overlapping them to wrap tightly. Place onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining puff pastry squares. (You can assemble the puff pastries, cover and refrigerate for several hours before baking.)
- When all the pastries are ready to bake, brush the puff pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle with a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Bake in the preheated oven until puffy and golden, about 15-20 minutes. Serve warm with warm cheese sauce spooned over the centre of the pastries. Season with a bit more freshly ground pepper.
Notes
More asparagus recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
