4 tb Unsalted butter
1 ts Unsalted butter
3 tb Flour
1/2 ts Salt
1/4 ts Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 ts Ground mace
1 c  Milk
1/2 c  Whipping cream
10 1/2 oz Frozen asparagus spears
-cooked according to the
-  package directions
-     and drained well.
2 lg Eggs, hard-cooked
- peeled & coarsely chopped
3/4 c  Grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 c  Minced blanched almonds
1 c  Soft white bread crumbs
1/4 c  Freshly grated Parmesan

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350F. 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 30
minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the topping is tipped with brown.