Cheesy Tilapia Recipe with Roasted Asparagus ~ KitchyMama Meals

Aaaahhhh....spring has arrived and asparagus is on sale! Oh, how I love the first tastes of fresh vegetable season! Tilapia and asparagus and cheese just seem like they want to be put together in a great meal, so that's what I did. in ths baked tilapia recipe--creamy and filling with a bit of crunch in the topping, you won't even know it's good for you!

If you've never tried roasted asparagus, do it this spring! Roasting brings out the natural sweetness in vegetables and creates a nutty flavor in the asparagus.

Roasting asparagus is very simple
Trim the woody parts off the ends
Wash the asparagus and pat dry
Gently toss with 1 Tbsp Olive oil and 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
Place in a single layer on a baking pan and roast in 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until crisp tender.

The trickiest part of this meal is figuring out to get both the asparagus and the baked fish done at the same time because they compete for oven space. I roasted the asparagus first, then removed it from the oven and put the fish in. Then returned the asparagus to the oven when the fish was almost done so it would be hot.

Here's the recipe for Cheesy Baked Tilapia:
Ingredients:

16 oz Tilapia Fillets

2 tbsp light butter

1/4 cup Onions, finely chopped

2 cloves Garlic

2 tbsp Whole Wheat Flour

1 1/2 cups Skim Milk

1/2 cup 2% Shredded Sharp Cheddar

1/4 cup Sliced Almonds

1/4 cup Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Directions:

Thaw Tillapia fillets. Spray shallow baking dish with with non-stick cooking spray. Place fillets in baking dish in single layer.

Finely chop onion and garlic. Melt butter in sauce pan and saute garlic and onion until tender. Reduce heat. Add pepper and flour and whisk until all flour is absorbed.

Slowly pour in milk. Turn heat back up and return to a slow boil, stirring constantly. When mixture thickens, remove from heat and stir in shredded cheese until all cheese is melted.

Pour cheese sauce over fish fillets. Chop sliced almonds until they are crumblike in consistency, mix with breadcrumbs and sprinkle over top. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily

Breakfast- 324 Calories

Almond Power Bar (from Eating Well)

Skim Milk

Snack- 180 Calories

Apple

Sunflower Seeds

Lunch- 370 Calories

Homemade Chili

Cornbread Muffin w/ Honey

Snack- 33 Calories

Carrot Sticks and Grape Tomatoes

Dinner- 396 Calories