Ingredients

　　2 tablespoons butter

　　2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

　　2 cups milk

　　Two 15-ounce cans asparagus spears, drained

　　1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

　　4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

　　Salt and pepper

　　1 cup breadcrumbs

　　To make the sauce, heat the butter in a skillet; stir in the flour, mixing well, then add the milk all at once. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and creamy; set aside. Arrange half of the asparagus in the bottom of a buttered 2-quart casserole. Top with half of the Cheddar and half of the egg slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Pour half of the sauce on top. Repeat the layers beginning with the remaining asparagus. Top with the breadcrumbs and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

　　The Lady & Sons, Too! by Paula Deen. © 2001 by Paula H. Deen. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Paula H. Deen was born and raised in Albany, Georgia. She later moved to Savannah, where she and her two sons, Bobby and Jamie, started the Bag Lady catering company. The business took off and evolved into The Lady & Sons Restaurant, which is located in Savannah’s historic district and specializes in Southern cooking. Paula is the host of Food Network’s Paula’s Home Cooking and is a regular guest on QVC, where her cookbooks are one of the newtowrk’s biggest sellers.