Make Ahead Christmas Appetizer Asparagus in Phyllo

I grew up in a French Canadian family, so we always opened gifts on Christmas Eve. Once my sons moved away, I started hosting Christmas Eve myself, leaving Christmas Day for their other families. Because it’s an evening party, I always serve a wide assortment of appetizers. I like to mix hot and cold options so the family can snack while keeping one eye on the oven, waiting for the next round of hot appetizers to be ready.

These Make Ahead Lemon Parmesan Asparagus Phyllo Appetizers have become one of my favorite additions. They’re elegant, crispy, and filled with a hint of bright lemon flavor that balances the richness of the butter and parmesan. They’re also freezer-friendly, so I can make a big batch ahead of time and simply bake them off when guests arrive.

Lemon Asparagus Filo Pastry Appetizer Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

Step 1 – Preheat and Prep the Pan
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2 – Prep the Asparagus
Wash the spears and trim off the woody ends (about 1–2 inches). Place them in a bowl.

Step 3 – Make the Lemon Butter Coating
Melt about 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir in 1 crushed garlic clove and the zest of ½ lemon. Pour over the asparagus and toss to coat. Set aside.

Pour this over the asparagus, and stir to coat.  Set aside.

Step 4 – Layer the Phyllo Pastry
Keep the phyllo stack covered with a slightly damp towel. On parchment, lay down 1 sheet of phyllo and brush very lightly with melted butter. Repeat to make 6 layers. Sprinkle the top with 2–3 tablespoons Parmesan and a little black pepper.

TIP: Phyllo dries out very quickly. Always keep the unused sheets covered with a slightly damp towel while you’re working.

Step 5 – Cut the Pastry into Strips
Slice the layered phyllo lengthwise into ½-inch strips, then cut each strip in half. You’ll have about 22–24 short strips.

Step 6 – Wrap the Asparagus
Place a spear at a slight angle across a strip. Start at the tip and roll the pastry around the spear. Repeat.

Step 7 – Bake until Golden
Arrange on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 15–20 minutes until the phyllo is crisp and golden.

Personally, I enjoy these asparagus rolls just as they are, crisp and cheesy. But if you’d like something creamy on the side, this quick Lemon Sour Cream Dip is my go-to.

Lemon Sour Cream Dip

Place everything in a bowl and stir.  You can’t get much simpler than that.

Once you’ve had your fill, warm from the oven, you’ll be glad to know these appetizers also freeze beautifully. Here’s how to store and reheat them for later:

Step 8 – Serve
Serve warm, with or without Lemon Sour Cream Dip.

Storage, Freezing & Reheating

To store (short term): Keep baked rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F until crisp.

To freeze: Let the baked appetizers cool completely. Bundle in parchment (about 12 per bundle), place in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 2 months.

To reheat from frozen: Place directly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F until hot and golden, about 12–15 minutes.

If you’re collecting ideas for holiday entertaining, make sure to save this recipe to Pinterest so you can find it easily when the season gets busy. These asparagus phyllo rolls are simple, elegant, and freezer-friendly, exactly the kind of appetizer you’ll be glad to have on hand for Christmas Eve or any Christmas get-togethers.

Celebrating Christmas Eve with my grown sons and their families has become one of my favorite traditions. It makes the holiday schedule easier for everyone, and my sons always look forward to the variety of appetizers. Keeping the freezer stocked with make-ahead bites like these asparagus phyllo rolls helps the evening stay relaxed, gives everyone something special to snack on, and lets me enjoy time with family instead of fussing in the kitchen.

Another Makeahead Idea for the Holidays

Homemade Cranberry Syrup

This simple to make Cranberry Syrup is delicious for Christmas. Drizzle it on pancakes, waffles, or add it to Sprite or 7-up for a festive beverage.

Make ahead Christmas Appetizers Asparagus in Phyllo

Print Recipe

Prep Time:45 minutes mins

Cook Time:20 minutes mins

Total Time:1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1 package phyllo pastry you will have leftovers
• 30 thin spears asparagus large bunch
• 1 whole lemon
• ½ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
• ½ cup melted butter
• pepper to taste

Lemon Sour Cream Dip (Optional)

• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Make sure you buy nice thin asparagus, wash it thoroughly and cut off the bottom woody portion, about an inch maybe two inches.
• Melt two tablespoons of butter (measuring doesn’t need to be accurate), crush and add 1 clove of garlic, the zest of half a fresh lemon.
• Pour this over the asparagus, and stir to coat.  Set aside.

Prepare the Phyllo Pastry

• Open the phyllo pastry, and cover with a slightly damp towel.    While working with your sheets of pastry keep the remaining filo sheets covered with the clean towel.
• Start with layering six sheets of the filo.   I like to work on parchment paper.  Lay a layer of phyllo onto parchment paper,  Brush very lightly with butter.  Repeat until you have six layers.  Sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons of the grated parmesan and add pepper to taste.
• Cut the phyllo pastry into 1/2 inch strips along the long side.  Then cut each strip in half.  You will end up with about 22 little strips.
• Wrap the strips around the asparagus starting at the tip.  I found the easiest way is to place the asparagus on an angle, start at the tip and then roll the asparagus.
• Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes until brown.

Lemon Sour Cream Dip

• Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir.

Preparing Frozen Lemon Parmesan Asparagus Appetizers

• Remove fromfreezer open parchment, place on baking sheet and bake at 350 untilfor about 20 minutes until golden.

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Servings: 30