Dinner Party Worthy Fresh Asparagus - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs fresh asparagus
6 hard-boiled eggs (sliced)
6 slices bacon (sliced crosswise & crisped)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese
1 tablespoon mccormick lemon-pepper seasoning
6 tablespoons crushed croutons (cheese flavored)
chopped fresh chives (to garnish, or parsley)

Preparation

Wash asparagus well & trim stem-ends so spears are 8\" long. Parboil spears till just barely fork-tender, but still fairly crisp. Quickly drain & cover w/cold water to stop cooking process. Drain again when cool & set aside.
Cut bacon slices crosswise, fry till crisp & drain well on paper towel.
Slice ea egg crosswise into 6 slices.
To assemble, pat asparagus spears dry w/paper towel & place equally in 6 groups in a 9\"x13\" baking dish. Top ea group w/1 sliced egg + equal amts of the crisped bacon pieces along their length & set aside.
Microwave cream cheese in sml dish to soften & warm slightly. Set aside.
Combine butter & flour over med-low heat to make a roux & gradually add milk. Use the flat a spatula to eliminate any lumps as you go.
Do not overcook sauce. When milk has been added & the sauce is smooth & thickening, remove from heat & incorporate the softened cream cheese & lemon pepper seasoning salt.
Spoon cream sauce over ea asparagus group, \"dust\" w/1 tbsp crushed croutons + sprinkle w/fresh chives or parsley.
Bake in hot oven (400F) just till bubbling & serve immediately. (Can also microwave till heated through, but do not refrigerate as this will lengthen the cooking time & potentially cause the sauce to separate).
NOTES: Sliced fresh mushrooms also work well as an addition -- For a 1-dish meal w/only a salad on the side, use this combo to stuff a well-pounded chicken breast & add mushrooms on top as a finishing touch.