Preheat oven to 400°.

Cut the tips off of the asparagus, just below the tip itself. Slice the remainder of the asparagus into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Sauté the asparagus and shallot in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Divide butter among the baking dishes and spread with a paper towel to evenly cover surface. Sprinkle each dish with some of the bread crumbs.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper.

Divide the asparagus among the baking dishes. Pour some of the egg mixture into each dish. Top with cheese. Place on baking sheet. Bake 15-23 minutes until puffed and golden.

Notes and Suggestions:

You can use various sizes of soufflé or quiche dishes depending on whether you want to serve 2 or 4 people and whether you want to serve a light meal or first course. For a light meal or brunch, I used 2- 8 ounce soufflé dishes. For a first course, I used 4 small ceramic quiche dishes. 4 servings bake 15 minutes; 2 servings bake 23 minutes.