Asparagus-cheese Casserole

I know the suffering and pain which sickness entails. I admit the misery and wretchedness which it often brings in its train. But I cannot regard it as an unmixed evil. I see in it a wise permission of God. I see in it a useful provision to check the ravages of sin and the devil among men’s souls. If man had never sinned I should have been at a loss to discern the benefit of sickness. But since sin is in the world, I can see that sickness is a good. It is a blessing quite as much as a curse. It is a rough schoolmaster, I grant. But it is a real friend to man’s soul.

J.C. Ryle

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Dairy, Eggs, Vegetables		Casseroles, Cheese/eggs, Vegetables	6	Servings

INGREDIENTS

4	T	Unsalted butter
1	t	Unsalted butter
3	T	Flour
1/2	t	Salt
1/4	t	Freshly ground black pepper
1/4	t	Ground mace
1	c	Milk
1/2	c	Whipping cream
10 1/2	oz	Frozen asparagus spears
		cooked according to the
		package directions
		and drained well.
2		Eggs, hard-cooked
		peeled & coarsely chopped
3/4	c	Grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2	c	Minced blanched almonds
1	c	Soft white bread crumbs
1/4	c	Freshly grated Parmesan

INSTRUCTIONS

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350F. In a medium saucepan set over moderate heat,
melt the butter. Spoon 4 teaspoons of the melted butter into a bowl.
Set aside. Blend the flour, salt, pepper and mace into the rest of  the
butter and let it sit over low heat for 1-to-2 minutes. Add the  milk
and cream and cook the sauce, stirring constantly for about 3  minutes,
until it has become thick and smooth. In a well-buttered,  2-quart
casserole, alternate layers of the asparagus, eggs, Cheddar  cheese and
almonds. Pour the cream sauce over the layers. Combine the  reserved
butter, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and scatter the  topping over
the layers. Combine the reserved butter, bread crumbs  and Parmesan
cheese and scatter the topping over the surface of the  casserole. Bake
the uncovered casserole for about 30 minutes, or  until the sauce is
bubbly and the topping is tipped with brown.  From Gemini's MASSIVE
MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients) ---------------------------------------------- Calories: 383 Calories From Fat: 277 Total Fat: 31.6g Cholesterol: 129.6mg Sodium: 720.7mg Potassium: 292.1mg Carbohydrates: 14.2g Fiber: 2.4g Sugar: 3.4g Protein: 12.7g

The mentality behind the fruit of the Spirit is the mentality of faith depending upon grace. People who bear the fruit of the Spirit know they are worthy only of condemnation. They know that the only pay they can earn is the wrath of God. Therefore, they have turned away from self-reliance and look only to mercy in Christ who “loved us and gave Himself for us” (Gal. 2:20). They do not expect anyone to be their debtor because of their worth. Any satisfaction will be a free gift of grace. They bank on the mercy of God and entrust themselves to his Spirit for help. And out of that mentality of faith depending on grace grows not “works” but “fruit”: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness...

John Piper