Sarah Michelle Gellar's Baked Asparagus Fries

We love french fries as much as anyone else, but we're also all in favor of switching it up now and then, which is why a recipe from Sarah Michelle Gellar's cookbook, Stirring Up Fun with Food, caught our eye. Gellar coats spears of asparagus with panko and Parmesan before baking them to golden perfection and dipping them into creamy Dijon for the ultimate veggie snack.

The best part of this recipe is you can adapt it depending on the season. When Gellar came by our Test Kitchen, she suggested swapping out asparagus for green beans or sweet potato batons. If you stick with asparagus, you may need to add a few minutes to the cook time if the spears are super thick.

To learn more, read "Eat Slay Love."

Sarah Michelle Gellar's Baked Asparagus Fries

Recipe adapted from 'Stirring Up Fun with Food,' by Sarah Michelle Gellar

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus cooling and overnight chilling time

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes, plus cooling and overnight chilling time

INGREDIENTS

1½ cups panko bread crumbs

½ cup grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup buttermilk

1 egg

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 pound medium asparagus, trimmed

Dijon mustard, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 450° and line a sheet pan with a wire rack. In a shallow bowl, toss the bread crumbs, Parmesan, oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper to combine. In another shallow bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg until smooth. In a third shallow bowl, spread out the flour.

2. Roll each asparagus spear in flour, then dip in the buttermilk mixture, letting the excess drip off. Then coat with the bread crumbs. Place each breaded asparagus on the wire rack. Bake until golden brown, 15 minutes, then transfer to a platter and serve with Dijon mustard.