My aunt from Ohio passed this simple springtime casserole down to me years ago, and I still pull it out the minute the asparagus shows up at our little roadside stand. It’s an old Amish-style idea at heart: take what the garden gives you, keep the ingredients few and honest, and let the oven do the work. Just four ingredients—yellow potatoes, fresh asparagus, real butter, and coarse salt—turn into the most tender, cozy pan of vegetables you can imagine. The potatoes roast up buttery and golden, the asparagus stays bright green and just-crisp at the tips, and every time I pull that glass casserole dish from the oven I’m reminded of Sunday dinners on my aunt’s Ohio farm.
Serve this Amish asparagus potato bake right in the glass casserole dish while it’s still warm and the butter is glistening. It’s lovely beside baked ham, roast chicken, or a simple skillet pork chop. A crisp green salad or sliced tomatoes with a splash of vinegar make a nice fresh contrast. If you’d like to stretch it into a main dish, top warm portions with a fried or poached egg, or crumble on a bit of cooked bacon or leftover sausage just before serving. A basket of warm dinner rolls or crusty bread is perfect for soaking up the buttery juices at the bottom of the pan.
Amish Asparagus Potato BakeServings: 4
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds small yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pound fresh asparagus, woody ends snapped off and spears cut into 2-inch pieces
4 tablespoons salted butter, melted (plus a little extra for greasing the dish, if desired)
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt (or to taste)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly butter a 9x13-inch glass casserole dish so the vegetables don’t stick and to add a little extra flavor.
Prepare the potatoes by scrubbing them well and cutting them into bite-sized 1-inch chunks. There’s no need to peel them if the skins are thin and clean. Spread the potatoes in an even layer in the bottom of the glass casserole dish.
Drizzle about half of the melted butter (2 tablespoons) over the potatoes and sprinkle with about half of the coarse salt. Toss gently right in the dish so all the potato pieces get a light coating of butter and salt, then spread them back into a single even layer.
Place the casserole dish on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake the potatoes, uncovered, for 20–25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until they are starting to turn golden on the edges but are not fully tender yet.
While the potatoes are roasting, snap the woody ends off the asparagus by bending each spear near the bottom until it naturally breaks. Discard the tough ends. Cut the tender spears into 2-inch pieces so they’ll roast evenly and fit nicely among the potatoes.
After the potatoes have had their head start, carefully pull the hot casserole dish out of the oven and place it on a heat-safe surface. Add the asparagus pieces right on top of the partially roasted potatoes.
Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter over the asparagus and potatoes, and sprinkle on the rest of the coarse salt. Using a spatula or large spoon, gently toss everything together in the hot dish so the asparagus spears and potato chunks are well coated and evenly distributed.
Return the casserole dish to the oven and continue baking, uncovered, for another 15–20 minutes, stirring once, until the potatoes are tender all the way through when pierced with a fork and the asparagus is bright green with lightly browned tips and just-tender stalks.
When the vegetables are done, remove the dish from the oven and let it stand for 3–5 minutes to settle. Taste and add a pinch more coarse salt if needed. Serve the asparagus and potatoes warm straight from the glass casserole dish, making sure to spoon some of the buttery juices over each serving.
Variations & Tips
You can keep this true to my aunt’s four-ingredient version or dress it up a bit while staying close to the spirit of the recipe. If you’d like a little extra richness, add an additional tablespoon of butter during the last few minutes of baking so it melts over the hot vegetables. For a touch of tang, squeeze a wedge of lemon over the dish just before serving, or grind on a little black pepper if your family likes a bit of spice. To make it heartier, you can scatter a small handful of grated cheese (like mild cheddar or Swiss) over the top during the last 5 minutes of baking, just until melted, or toss in a few leftover cooked ham cubes—but note that any additions go beyond the original four-ingredient idea. If you need to prepare ahead, you can scrub and cut the potatoes and asparagus earlier in the day and keep them covered in the refrigerator; just pat them dry before roasting so they brown nicely. For food safety, always wash the potatoes and asparagus thoroughly under cool running water to remove any dirt or grit, and use a clean cutting board and knife. Keep the vegetables refrigerated until you’re ready to cook, and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of baking. Reheat leftovers in a covered dish in a 350°F (175°C) oven until hot all the way through, and only reheat once for best quality.
