Merrily2U's Asparagus Confetti Bake

The heartiness of the butter & breadcrumbs in this dish mixes well with the flavors of the various vegetables and spices/seasonings. Excellent accompaniment to ANY chicken dish! Another one from my sister Mary's kitchen...

Ingredients:

 1 & 1/4 Pound Asparagus Spears

 1/4 Cup Butter (or Margerine)

 2 Tblspn. Bread Crumbs

 3 Tblspn. Onion, finely chopped

 2 Tblspn. Celery, finely chopped

 1 Medium tomato, seeded & diced

 1/4 Cup Water

 1/4 Tspn. Basil

 2 Tblspn. Parmesan Cheese

 1/4 Tspn. Thyme

Procedure:

  1. Wash asparagus, slice off the bottom 1" of the spears and discard.
  2. Steam/boil spears in the water in a pan over medium heat until crisp-tender (about 5 min).
  3. Arrange spears cross-hatched on a 9+ inch glass dish.
  4. Spinkle onions, celery, tomato, basil, thyme and half of the butter (melted) over asparagus. Cover with plastic and microwave on HIGH for 10 min.
  5. Melt remaining butter and combine with bread crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs and cheese over cooked veggies.
  6. Place dressed spears under a broiler to brown cheese/bread crumbs. Serve hot.