I love artichokes. I usually get them in cans, so I considered it a challenge to learn how to prepare whole artichokes at home. I recently spotted a 3-pack of artichokes at our local ALDI grocery store for just $1.59. For me, it was the perfect opportunity to experiment! I had previously tried to make roasted artichoke appetizer without much success. My failing had to do with the fact that I didn’t cook the artichoke long enough. I find it tastes the best when you boil it before you roast it… and quite a while. If I were to do this again, I’d cut even more of the artichoke off the top. The fleshy, tender heart is what tastes good.
- 3 artichokes
- ½ C. breadcrumbs (I used Panko crumbs)
- ⅓ C. Parmesan cheese
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tsp. salt
- Olive oil
- Cut off the stems, bottoms, and top ⅓ of the leaves of the artichokes. Tear off the hard outer leaves.
- Boil for about 30 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Pry the leaves apart in order to stuff with filling. Sprinkle bread crumb/parmesan mixture over the top and press into leaves. Bake for 25 minutes at 400.
- To eat them, pick off a leaf and eat the soft inner portion. The harder outer edges of the leaves serve as a “handle” for them, for lack of a better way to put it.