Baked Stuffed Artichokes

• VEGETARIAN
• ARTICHOKES

Don’t let stuffed artichokes intimidate you! Transform globe artichokes into an impressive appetizer or side dish with Parmesan breadcrumbs, olive oil, and lemon. Say hello to your new favorite artichoke recipe.

Elise Bauer

Hello fellow artichoke lovers. Have you ever had stuffed artichokes? If you are making artichokes for company and want to make an impression, try stuffing and baking them.

Seriously the best way to eat artichokes ever. I don't say this lightly. Stuffed artichokes are really, truly good.

What Are the Ingredients in Baked Stuffed Artichokes?

It's somewhat obvious why when you look at the ingredients. Artichokes are a wonder food in and of themselves. Pull back the leaves (petals actually) and stuff them with herby, garlicky Parmesan breadcrumbs, and drizzle with olive oil? Wow.

Elise Bauer

How to Prepare Baked Stuffed Artichokes

There is no pre-steaming of the artichokes in this recipe. You just trim the leaves, slice off the top, scoop out and discard the choke, and then stuff the leaves with the breadcrumb mixture. Put them into a pot with water, lemon, and garlic, then cover and bake until you can easily pull the leaves off.

Covering the dish while baking essentially steams the artichoke with the stuffing in it!

How to Serve Baked Stuffed Artichokes

No need for a dip. The stuffing sticks to the leaves where a dip would normally go and you eat it the same way.

So good! It's the perfect appetizer for a spring gathering or luxurious meal in itself.

Choosing the Right Artichoke

This recipe works best with medium-to-large, fresh, in-season artichokes. Here's what to look for:

• Heavy: The artichokes should feel heavy when you hold them. If they're light, that's a sign that they are a little dried out and probably tough.
• Squeak: When you hold a fresh artichoke, the leaves squeak when you squeeze them.
• Closed, not flayed open, leaves: If an artichoke has leaves that are wide open, that's a sign that the artichoke may be on the old side and may be tough. If it's still heavy, you're okay, but if not, look for an artichoke where the leaves are more closed with just a little separation.
• In season: The main season for artichokes is in the spring (March and April). There is a smaller, second season in the fall (October). Buy artichokes when they are in season and you'll have a better chance of getting one that is fresh and not dried out or tough.

Swaps and Substitutions

• Breadcrumbs: We recommend making fresh breadcrumbs for this recipe, as they are softer than store-bought breadcrumbs and more pleasant to eat with the artichoke leaves. We opt for white bread, but most types of bread will work just fine. Alternatively, many readers have had great results using 3 cups of plain or Italian seasoned store-bought breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs. One reader made an excellent version of this recipe without the breadcrumbs altogether, using pre-steamed artichokes, reducing the oil, and baking until they were heated through.
• Oil: We love the fruitiness of extra-virgin olive oil for these artichokes, but you can substitute other oils such as canola or avocado oil, or even melted butter, if you prefer.
• Cheese: If you don't have Parmesan cheese on hand, another hard cheese like pecorino Romano would be a good substitute.

Troubleshooting Tips

• Soggy breadcrumbs? Make sure your pot is the right size so that the artichokes fit snugly and won’t fall over.
• Dry artichokes? Make sure your pot is covered tightly. If you don’t have a lid, use aluminum foil. Add more water if the pot gets dry.
• Tough artichokes? If you purchase artichokes out of season, they tend to be tougher and will need a bit longer to cook. For the freshest artichokes, buy them in March or April (the main season) or October (the smaller second season).

Baked Stuffed Artichokes

PREP TIME25 mins

COOK TIME60 mins

TOTAL TIME85 mins

SERVINGS4 servings

Ingredients

• 6 slices white bread

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 8 cloves garlic, divided

• 1/2 cup chopped parsley

• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 large globe artichokes

• 4 slices lemon, divided

• 1 bay leaf

• Salt, optional

Method

1. Make fresh breadcrumbs:

   Cut off the crust from 6 slices of bread. Chop the centers and put into a food processor. Pulse until you have coarse breadcrumbs. You should have about 3 cups.

2. Make the stuffing:

   In a large bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic (from 6 of the garlic cloves, reserving the remaining 2 cloves), chopped parsley, minced oregano, 1/2 cup olive oil, and black pepper. Set aside.

   

3. Prep the artichokes:

   Cut off the stem, leaving 1/2 inch from the bottom row of leaves. Using kitchen scissors, cut off 1/2 inch of the tips of all of the artichoke leaves.

   

   

   Cut 1 inch from the top of the artichoke. (It helps to use a serrated knife like a bread knife for this.)

   Take a slice of lemon and rub over the cut edges of the artichokes to keep them from turning brown.
4. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
5. Stuff the artichokes:

   Use your finger to gently pull open the center leaves of the artichokes. Pull out the inner tender yellow artichoke leaves. Use a small metal spoon to scrape and scoop out all of the inner fuzzy choke.

   

   

   Note that removing the choke at this stage isn't entirely necessarily, and it does require some elbow grease. That said, it makes eating the stuffed artichoke a much easier, and more enjoyable experience.

   Place artichokes on a sheet pan (to catch the breadcrumbs) and start stuffing the artichoke with your stuffing mix. Put some stuffing mix between each large leaf and the artichoke, as well as a generous amount in the center.
6. Bake the artichokes:

   Put about 1 inch of boiling water in the bottom of a Dutch oven that will snugly hold the artichokes. Add 2 slices of lemon, a bay leaf, the 2 remaining garlic cloves, halved, to the water.

   Place the artichokes sitting upright in the water. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

   

   Cover the pot tightly with a lid. (Remember to cover the dish or this method will not work!)

   Bake for 1 hour at 375°F (190°C), or until a knife easily penetrates the heart of the artichoke or you can easily remove one of the outer petals. (Depending on the size of the artichoke baking time can vary from 50 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or longer.)

   Remove the cover and broil for a minute or so, enough to get some browning on the top of the stuffing.

   Remove artichokes to a serving dish to serve. The Parmesan adds a good amount of saltiness, but if you prefer more salt, add more to taste.

Elise Bauer

				NUTRITION FACTS(PER SERVING)
537	CALORIES
39g	FAT
39g	CARBS
11g	PROTEIN

 Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.