I LOVE artichokes. My mom first introduced us to artichokes when we were kids, and they were always a treat. A steamed artichoke with melted butter on the side, I was in heaven. When I got a little older I ordered a stuffed artichoke in an Italian restaurant in New Orleans. It was incredibly messy to eat, but it was unforgettably delicious.
Fast forward a few years, and there I was with a kitchen on my own. I learned to steam artichokes myself, and I would rush to the fancy grocery store in the spring and buy the biggest, most beautiful, artichokes they had. I even taught my kids and their neighborhood friends how to eat them. You can read about that here. Then came the day I decided to make stuffed artichokes at home.
They were delicious, but good lord, what a pain in the butt! I hear that people make them at home all the time in Italy, but I know many Italians still live in multigenerational households. I wonder if they get everybody together and make them help stuff the artichokes? Or maybe the Nonnas do it by themselves just so they can be alone in the kitchen? I decided to only ever eat stuffed artichokes in restaurants. Off the top of your head, how many restaurants can you name that are serving stuffed artichokes? I can’t think of any locally, so I figured out a shortcut.
Clearly I’m not the only one who wanted stuffed artichokes without the drama. You can find all sorts of stuffed artichoke casserole recipes if you look. I stick to the basics; this Artichoke Gratin includes all the flavors that make Italian stuffed artichokes delicious, but it’s a whole lot easier to make and eat.
This recipe is designed to work best with canned artichokes. I like to include a can of artichoke bottoms to the artichoke hearts when I can find them. They nearly always have more flavor than the hearts, but not all grocery stores carry them. Artichoke Gratin is good either way.
Stuffed artichokes always have plenty of parmesan cheese, and so does this Artichoke Gratin. But it’s the crumbs that make it a gratin. The stuffed artichokes I’ve had nearly always used the canned dry breadcrumbs, and that’s fine. Notice, though, this recipe calls for plain breadcrumbs you season as part of the recipe rather than Italian seasoned breadcrumbs. That’s because as a Fresh Breadcrumb Evangelist I want you to have the option of using those fresh breadcrumbs in your freezer. (You know, the ones you make by buzzing bread butts, stale bread, etc. in your food processor and pouring in a freezer bag? Yes, those.) If you’re starting with Italian breadcrumbs, simply skip the Italian seasoning. Don’t skimp on the butter, though, and certainly not the cheese.
Try them!
Artichoke Gratin
Ingredients
- 3 14 oz. cans artichoke hearts in water, or two cans artichoke hearts and one can artichoke bottoms
- 4 T. butter, divided
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs, fresh or dried
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- zest of one small lemon
- 1 t. Italian seasoning
- ½ t. onion powder
- ¼ t. garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease an 8x8 or similar size baking dish with 2 T. butter. Use all of the 2 tablespoons of butter to grease the dish.
- Drain the artichokes and chop roughly. Discard any tough outer leaves if necessary. Spead the artichokes in the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- Melt the remaining 2 T. of butter. Toss with the lemon zest, breadcrumbs, parmesan, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and garlic powder. Again, add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle evenly over the artichokes.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
Notes
-3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
-1/2 cup parmesan chesse
-1 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs
-1 tsp onion powder
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup white wine No layering for this one: you just mix it all in one bowl with clean hands, and spread/press into a baking dish and bake at 375 for about 45 minutes until golden brown on top. (Check after 30 mins, and go from there.)
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