Ingredients

• 2 pounds of fresh asparagus, trimmed
• 12 slices of bacon, slightly precooked
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 cup of light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), optional
• 2 teaspoons of chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt
• 10 turns of the pepper grinder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Trim the asparagus by bending the bottom half of one asparagus spear until it pops apart at the natural break. Then line up the other spears and use a knife to cut them all at the same length. Spray an oblong, glass baking pan with non stick spray. If you use a metal pan instead, you’ll probably want to line it with a couple of layers of aluminum foil for easier clean up!

Divide the asparagus into 12 equal bundles. Starting about a half inch from the bottom of each bundle, wrap the bundles with the bacon, securing with toothpicks, if needed, and place the bundles into the baking pan.

In a heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, Cajun seasoning, chili powder, garlic salt, and pepper; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour sauce all over the asparagus bundles.

Roast at 400 degrees F, about 25 minutes, or just until asparagus begins to wilt, basting with the brown sugar sauce several times.

These were enjoyed at the first meeting at the Fort Fisher UDC #2325 for the 2014/15 season.