Cheesy Baked Asparagus with Gruyere cheese, Garlic, and Bacon

Ingredients

1 lb asparagus
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 cup Gruyere cheese (or Parmesan), shredded
5 slices bacon (cooked and chopped)

Method

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Trim asparagus ends. Place asparagus in a medium-size casserole dish, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Top with minced garlic.
Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven at 400 F for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Sprinkle half of shredded Gruyere cheese (or Parmesan) all over asparagus. Then, add chopped cooked bacon. Top with the remaining half of shredded cheese.
Bake for 10 more minutes, uncovered at 400 F. Serve immediately while the cheese is nice and melty!

Important note: Pay attention to how thick (or thin) the asparagus stalks are. Thinner asparagus will cook faster. Thicker asparagus will take longer to cook. The cooking times should be adjusted accordingly. Also, adjust your cooking times depending on how you like your asparagus: soft or more crispy and crunchy

Notes:
Use a whole bunch of asparagus. It is usually 1 lb or 1.5 lb. Trim off the dry ends of asparagus before adding it to the baking dish.
Pre-prepare the ingredients. Cook bacon in advance, drain it and chop it. I usually cook the bacon in the preheated oven at 350 F for 20 minutes, then lay it on paper towels to remove extra grease. Chop or mince fresh garlic. Shred the cheese.
Many types of cheeses will work in this recipe. Use the cheese that will melt nicely. My top 2 choices are Parmesan and Gruyere. You can also use Mozzarella or Asiago.
Do not overcook the asparagus. Roast the asparagus for no more than a total of 20 minutes. Make sure the oven is preheated to 400 F. Add the cheese and cooked bacon only during the last 10 minutes.
Step-by-step photos. If you are a visual person, I have provided quite a few step-by-step photos on how to make this cheesy baked asparagus above the recipe card.
Storage. Baked asparagus can be refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.

How to reheat. After refrigerating this dish, you can reheat it briefly in the microwave oven to melt the cheese. Or, bake it briefly in a regular oven when ready to serve. You can sprinkle extra cheese over the asparagus before reheating.
What to serve with it? Above the recipe card, you will find a list of several low-carb, high-protein, keto-friendly main dishes that will pair well with this low-carb cheesy asparagus.