Tender asparagus sprinkled with bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and bacon wrapped in phyllo dough and baked until it’s crispy and golden brown.

I’ve teamed up with Athens Foods this month to share four great recipes. The first one is my version of their Phyllo and Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus recipe. My husband isn’t a big prosciutto fan, but I wanted to keep that smokey flavor in the recipe. So instead of wrapping the asparagus in prosciutto, I added finely chopped crisp bacon before rolling the asparagus in phyllo.

These delicious asparagus bundles were part of our Thanksgiving dinner this year. They were a perfect addition because you can make them ahead of time, and they look elegant even though they’re easy to make.

When you’re working with phyllo dough you need to be sure and keep it covered so it doesn’t dry out. I covered the sheets with plastic wrap and a damp towel.

Combine the Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and bacon in a small bowl. Or, if you prefer not to put bacon on top of the phyllo dough, just combine the cheese and bread crumbs, and sprinkle the bacon on separately. The bacon looks pretty on top, but it is harder to get to stick to the phyllo.

It’s important that you use a medium asparagus for this recipe and not little, thin asparagus. Thin asparagus will cook too quickly and your phyllo won’t have enough time to get crispy and brown.

Remember to save some of the breadcrumb cheese mixture to sprinkle on top of the bundles before you cook them. It adds such a pretty finish.

Athens Fillo Dough is tissue-thin pastry dough so it bakes up light, crispy and flaky. Which leads to the dilemma of the best way to eat phyllo asparagus bundles.

My family was divided on whether or not you should eat them with a knife and fork, or if you should pick them up like finger food or an appetizer.

The bundles don’t need a sauce, but I liked dipping them in cranberry sauce. My husband on the other hand dipped his in turkey gravy.

These crispy asparagus bundles are perfect for special dinners like Thanksgiving or Christmas, but you don’t need to wait for a special occasion. I made them again this week and served them with pork chops and baked potatoes. They make any dinner special.

Yield: 6 servings

Phyllo, Parmesan, Bacon Asparagus Bundles

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Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 18 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 sheets Athens Fillo® Dough, thawed
• 2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons crisp bacon, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Cooking Spray
• 18 medium asparagus spears, trimmed

Instructions

1. Thaw one roll of fillo following thawing instructions on package.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Unroll and cover the sheets with plastic wrap and a damp towel to prevent drying out.
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, bacon, and Parmesan cheese.
4. Place one sheet of fillo on work surface and lightly coat 1/2 of the sheet with cooking spray lengthwise. Fold sheet in half lengthwise and spray top layer.
5. Place 3 spears of asparagus on top of the fillo dough 1-inch from the short end. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the bread crumb mixture evenly on the asparagus.
6. Roll the fillo around the asparagus to create a bundle. Place bundle on a baking tray seam side down. Lightly spray the outside. Sprinkle with bread crumb mixture to garnish.
7. Repeat with remaining sheets of fillo dough and asparagus.
8. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the fillo is a light golden brown and asparagus in tender. Serve immediately.

Notes

MAKE AHEAD: Assemble, place on baking tray, wrap in plastic and refrigerate up to 12 hours before baking. To serve, unwrap and bake per directions.

Use leftover phyllo dough to make a fun dessert.

Simply Caramel and Chocolate Turnovers

Baked Nutella Turnovers

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Athens Foods , but all opinions expressed are always my own. Visit Athens Foods for more great Fillo Dough recipes.