Fresh asparagus spears, wrapped in bacon & cooked in a spicy brown sugar butter sauce.

Asparagus Bundles

If you've been around my recipes awhile, you probably remember when I featured The Sweet Potato Queen's bacon snack called Pig Candy, and that is the first thing I thought of when I saw these Asparagus Bundles in Trisha Yearwood's newest cookbook. This has truly been one of my most favorite cookbooks y'all - I have loved every one of her recipes that I've made, and heard great things from other readers about other recipes they've made from it.

Asparagus is available in the U.S. year round these days so these can be made pretty much anytime of the year - though harvests are between February and June, with the peak being around April and May where they are at their best.

This pairing of brown sugared bacon with fresh asparagus did not disappoint either - the flavors are perfect together, it is just simply delicious, and I absolutely loved it. If you love good southern cooking, consider getting this cookbook - you won't be disappointed!

I adapted the original recipe by adding my favorite Cajun seasoning and some chili powder to the brown sugar mixture, and while I got busy and distracted and didn't baste the bundles, I highly suggest doing that for a richer and deeper color on your bacon. Yummy - enjoy!

Recipe: Asparagus Bundles

©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Prep time: 15 min |Cook time: 25 min |

Yield: About 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of fresh asparagus, trimmed
• 12 slices of bacon, slightly precooked
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 cup of light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), optional
• 2 teaspoons of chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt
• 10 turns of the pepper grinder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Trim the asparagus by bending the bottom half of one asparagus spear until it pops apart at the natural break. Then line up the other spears and use a knife to cut them all at the same length. Spray an oblong, glass baking pan with non stick spray. If you use a metal pan instead, you'll probably want to line it with a couple of layers of aluminum foil for easier clean up!

Divide the asparagus into 12 equal bundles. Starting about a half inch from the bottom of each bundle, wrap the bundles with the bacon, securing with toothpicks, if needed, and place the bundles into the baking pan.

In a heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, Cajun seasoning, chili powder, garlic salt, and pepper; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour sauce all over the asparagus bundles.

Roast at 400 degrees F, about 25 minutes, or just until asparagus begins to wilt, basting with the brown sugar sauce several times.

Cook's Note: Also excellent with green beans (scroll comments below for Linda's Vinaigrette Sauce).

Source: http://www.deepsouthdish.com

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©Deep South Dish

Adapted from Trisha Yearwood's Home Cooking
To see all of my Trisha Yearwood recipes, click right here.

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Posted by Mary on May 6, 2010

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