🍃 What Makes This Recipe So Good
These beauties are one of my favorite ways to enjoy artichokes, and I’ve been a fan of artichokes since I was a kid, so I’ve tried them a lot of ways! They’re pretty versatile, too. This recipe is for vegetarian stuffed artichokes, packed with buttery breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, garlic, and lemon zest. You could also do a sausage-stuffed version like these sausage-stuffed mushrooms. In one of my favorite variations, the artichokes were stuffed with a mixture of crab meat, breadcrumbs, and fresh herbs, among other things. You can really get creative here! Stuffed artichokes make a really great appetizer for the holidays. Serve them on a platter with small plates and a dipping sauce or two, then let everyone peel off a few petals at a time to snack on. They can be a tasty side dish, too, though it may be a little trickier to eat a whole pull-and-peel artichoke alongside the rest of your meal. To make it a little easier, and to stretch the artichokes a little further, use a sharp knife to slice the stuffed artichokes in half if you’re serving them as a side. Believe it or not, stuffed artichokes are really not that hard to make! I know it seems intimidating, but the toughest part is prepping the artichoke. Really, though, even that’s not too bad. Plus, when all is said and done, you’ve got a gorgeous and irresistible appetizer or side dish to impress your guests and family.
👩🏼🍳 Chef’s Tips
The fuzzy choke in the center of the artichoke is inedible, but it sits on top of the super edible (and delicious) artichoke heart, so you’ll definitely want to get rid of it. You’ve got three options! For the first one, you can scrape out the choke while you’re prepping the artichoke. This is probably the least easy way to do it, though, because the petals are rigid and can be hard to work around. Another option is to scrape it out after boiling the artichokes, when the petals are tender and more pliable. The option I go with, though, is just to leave it alone! Well, for a little while at least. Serve the stuffed artichoke with the choke intact and just make sure to pull the petals off cleanly so you don’t consume any of the choke. Once you’ve peeled off all the petals, the choke is super accessible and easy to cut away from the heart. It’s totally optional, but consider wearing gloves when you’re working with the raw artichokes. They have a really bitter-tasting juice, and if it gets on your hands while you’re cooking, you could transfer it to other foods, too. You don’t have to worry about that once the stuffed artichokes are cooked, though! It’s just with the raw artichokes.
🥗 Other Holiday-Worthy Recipes
Cocktail Blini (For Caviar and More!) 2-Ingredient Bacon-Wrapped Dates (with Stuffed Option) Cream Cheese Sausage Balls The Best Ever Cranberry Brie Bites Instant Pot French Onion Soup Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms Crockpot Baked Brie Dip Stuffed Ziti Fritta Butternut Squash Casserole Chicken Velvet Soup Shrimp Cocktail Easy Prime Rib with Au Jus Recipe and Perfect Creamy Horseradish Sauce Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole Crockpot Spinach Artichoke Dip Perfect Keto Charcuterie Board Accordion Potatoes
