It doesn't get much better if you're an asparagus and cheese lover than this Asparagus and Gruyere Cheese Skillet Popover. Serve it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or even dinner. It's incredible any time of day!
Tender in-season asparagus is baked in a light, puffy popover batter and then covered in melted, nutty-tasting Gruyere cheese. What's not to love?
For many more asparagus recipes, check out my Amazing Asparagus Recipe Roundup.
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Table of Contents Found Here
- The ingredients:
- Ingredient information:
- Kitchen tools and equipment needed:
- How this recipe came to be:
- Add in and substitution suggestions:
- Renee's top tip for success:
- What is a popover?
- Can Swiss cheese be used in place of Gruyere cheese?
- Is this considered a low-carb dish?
- Make it a complete meal:
- Additional recipes featuring asparagus:
- Printable Recipe Card
- Asparagus and Gruyere Cheese Skillet Popover
- Please comment if you've made this recipe.
The ingredients:
*Please note that the exact measurements along with a "shop the recipe" feature from Instacart and Walmart is available inside the printable recipe card.
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Ingredient information:
ASPARAGUS is best when it's in season. For most of the U.S., asparagus season runs from April (roughly) through the end of June.
When purchasing asparagus, it is best to purchase it in season and to use it as soon as possible.
The natural sugar in asparagus turns to starch the longer it sits, so for the best flavor, use it ASAP after bringing it home from the market.
GRUYERE is a hard, creamy-colored cow's milk cheese known for its nutty flavor and incredible melting capabilities.
Gruyere is a type of Swiss cheese with a heartier flavor due to the aging process, typically six months long and is named after the town Gruyere (in Switzerland), where it was first produced.
SHALLOTS, along with onions, leeks, chives, and garlic, are all members of the allium family. They have a mild, sweet flavor.
Shallots can be used either raw (in salads and dressings) or sautéed, as in this recipe and bring a light onion flavor to any dish without being overpowering or overly noticeable.
EGGS are commonly sized large when written in most recipes unless otherwise stated. A large egg without the shell is typically 2 ounces in volume.
There are so many types of eggs in the market these days that it's challenging to know which ones to choose. Use the eggs you feel best about using and what your budget allows.
MILK is used in a small amount in this recipe. I used 1% milk, but feel free to use 2% whole, or even half and half or heavy cream for added richness.
You'd have to experiment with cow's milk alternatives when it comes to milk, but there are plenty in the market that would make a tasty replacement in this recipe.
FLOUR thickens the egg batter ever so slightly and gives structure and lift to the popover while baking.
I used unbleached all-purpose flour, but feel free to use whatever type of flour you have on hand (although I don't recommend using almond flour).
SUGAR gives the completed popover a tiny touch of sweetness and balance and helps with browning.
SALT AND PEPPER are added by "personal taste" in this recipe. I recommend using kosher salt and freshly cracked black flavor for the best flavor.
You will use salt in the water when blanching the asparagus and salt and pepper for seasoning the popover batter.
I recommend using one teaspoon of salt with 3 cups of water for blanching, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper for the batter if you prefer having a guide.
*Important Note—If using table salt instead of kosher salt, please cut back on the amount of salt called for in the recipe card by half because they measure differently due to grain size.
Kitchen tools and equipment needed:
- large, oven safe skillet
- 3-quart saucepan (for blanching the asparagus)
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- box grater
- medium-size microwave bowl
- whisk
- measuring cups and spoons
- oven gloves
- cooling rack
- kitchen timer
How this recipe came to be:
I'd been collecting recipes out of cooking magazines for years and years. Whenever I'd find one that I thought looked interesting, I'd rip it out of the magazine and add it to my file.
After years and years of recipe collecting, I have a giant fan folder filled to the brim with recipes that I (more than likely) will never, ever cook.
The other day, however, I went through my file's breakfast and brunch category and pulled out a few recipes to make.
Today's recipe for Asparagus Popover is from the Everyday with Rachael Ray cooking magazine. I don't know the month or year of this publication (it's not listed on the page), but it's likely from around 2015 (give or take).
Add in and substitution suggestions:
As Rachael suggests (in her magazine), sprinkle some cooked bacon into the popover batter before baking, which would be delicious! Bacon is always a good suggestion.
On the flip side of bacon, I suggest using a bit of cooked ham or breakfast sausage as a delicious meaty component.
Of course, you can swap out the gruyere cheese for whatever your favorite melting cheese happens to be, and you can also add additional blanched (or even previously roasted) veggies to the asparagus or replace the asparagus altogether.
Fresh spinach leaves (1 cup or so) added when adding the shallots would make a fantastic addition to this cheesy skillet popover.
You can also use whatever herbs or spices you love. I didn't use any as I was trying to stick close to Rachael's original recipe.
Still, I'm confident that a small pinch of freshly grated nutmeg would be an incredible flavor combination with the asparagus and gruyere cheese. Or a little fresh (or dried) thyme and a pinch of tarragon could be a wonderful addition to this skillet popover.
What do you think? How and what would you add to make this recipe your very own? Do tell. I'd love to hear.
Renee's top tip for success:
Preheat the oven for at least 30 minutes before adding the skillet to the oven. Once the popover hits the oven, you want it to start cooking immediately.
Room-temperature eggs will whisk together more quickly than cold eggs from the fridge. If you forget to let the eggs sit out beforehand, run warm water over them for 2-3 minutes. Pat dry before using.
What is a popover?
A popover batter combines eggs, milk, flour, and seasonings. As a popover batter bakes, it rises and puffs in the oven.
Traditionally, popovers are baked in a popover pan (similar to a muffin tin) and served individually, similar to Yorkshire pudding.
However, in this instance, the popover batter is added to a skillet, resulting in one large, golden brown, and deliciously cheesy skillet popover.
Can Swiss cheese be used in place of Gruyere cheese?
Yes, it sure can.
Gruyere cheese is aged longer than Swiss and has a more robust, nuttier flavor.
Swiss and Gruyere cheese are hard cheeses but not crumbly, and both are known for their fantastic melting capabilities.
Did you know that Gruyere and Swiss cheese are similar, except that Gruyere cheese comes from the Gruyere region of Switzerland, and only an Emmentaler Swiss cheese comes from Switzerland?
Oddly enough, most other Swiss cheeses aren't made in Switzerland at all?
Is this considered a low-carb dish?
Yes, definitely!
With only 6 grams of carbs and 12 grams of protein per large serving, this cheesy skillet popover must go on to your regular rotation for high-protein and low-carb dishes!
Make it a complete meal:
English Muffin Bread is everything you want in an English muffin except that you make it in a loaf pan. The nooks and crannies in this bread are just what you want!
Start your brunch feast with the easy-to-prepare yet tantalizingly sweet and savory Prosciutto Wrapped Pineapple Spears.
These Roasted Baby Potatoes with Garlic and Herbs are creamy in the center and golden brown and crispy outside.
Additional recipes featuring asparagus:
Sweet, caramelized Seared Scallops with Linguine and Asparagus are what dreams are made of. Especially when they're served with toasted buttered breadcrumbs!
This creamy and delicious Asparagus and Pea Risotto combines all the flavors of spring with very little fuss and just a little bit of stirring.
Ham and Asparagus Quiche is a deliciously special yet easy breakfast or brunch item that utilizes leftover ham, frozen hash browns, and fresh tender asparagus.
Asparagus with Breadcrumbs is delicious fresh asparagus made even tastier when covered with the wonderful texture of breadcrumbs lightly flavored with onion and lemon.
This Amazing Asparagus Recipe Roundup will hit all the right bells and whistles on any asparagus' lover's taste buds.
When you make today's recipe (and I hope that you will), I'd appreciate it if you'd take the time to come back and give it a star rating along with a comment on why you rated as you did.
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Printable Recipe Card
Asparagus and Gruyere Cheese Skillet Popover
Equipment
- cheese grater optional
- kitchen scale optional
- kitchen timer optional
- 3 quart saucepan for blanching the asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh asparagus woody stems removed, and cut into 3" pieces
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 large (about 3 tablespoons) shallots sliced
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon sugar
- 4 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius)
- In the saucepan, blanch the prepared asparagus in boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Remove the asparagus with a strainer to ice water to stop the cooking process and to cool. Pat the asparagus dry and set them aside.
- In a medium-size microwave-safe bowl, warm the milk (not hot) for 30-40 seconds in the microwave on high power. Whisk the eggs, flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste), and a small pinch of sugar into the warm milk until no longer lumpy. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced shallot and cook, stirring occasionally until the shallots turn translucent (about 2-3 minutes). Add the blanched asparagus to the skillet and stir to distribute the ingredients evenly.
- Pour the popover batter evenly into the skillet over the asparagus and shallots and spread it out evenly (if needed) to cover the bottom of the skillet.
- Top the contents of the skillet evenly with half of the shredded cheese and place the skillet into the center of the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes until it's puffed and golden in color.
- Remove the popover from the oven and top evenly with the remaining cheese. Cut into wedges and serve hot.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I sincerely hope you'll enjoy making and serving this delicious skillet vegetable and cheese popover as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you.
Should you have any questions or comments regarding anything you've seen on my site, please don't hesitate to reach out to contact me. It is always my distinct pleasure to get back with you just as soon as I possibly can!
Thank you so much for visiting me today in my Kudos Kitchen. I hope you found something you'll love and that you will come back and visit me often. Please know that there is always room for you around my kitchen table!
Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!
Renée says
I can tell you from experience that this is just as delicious the next day as a leftover. I had it for lunch, and when it was gone, I was sad. I'll have to make this again very soon.