Amount
Ingredient
Preparation



4
tablespoons
butter, unsalted





1
teaspoon
butter, unsalted





3
tablespoons
flour





1/2
teaspoon
salt





1/4
teaspoon
black pepper

freshly ground



1/4
teaspoon
mace

ground



1
cup
milk





1/2
cup
heavy whipping cream





10 1/2
ounces
asparagus

frozen spears, cooked, drained



2
large
eggs

hard-cooked, peeled, coarsely chopped



3/4
cup
sharp cheddar cheese

grated



1/2
cup
almonds

minced blanched



1
cup
bread crumbs

soft white



1/4
cup
parmesan cheese

freshly grated

 Preheat oven to 35 F. 

In a medium saucepan set over moderate heat, melt the
butter. Spoon 4 teaspoons of the melted butter into a bowl. Set aside.

Blend the flour, salt, pepper and mace into the rest of the butter and let it sit over low heat for 1-to-2 minutes. Add the milk and cream and cook the sauce, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes, until it has become thick and smooth. 

In a well-buttered, 2-quart casserole, alternate layers
of the asparagus, eggs, Cheddar cheese and almonds. Pour the cream sauce over the layers. Combine the reserved butter, bread crumbs and parmesan cheese and scatter the topping over the layers. 

Combine the reserved butter, bread crumbs and parmesan cheese and scatter the topping over the surface of the casserole. Bake the uncovered casserole for about 3
minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the topping is tipped with brown.