When I was a little girl my Grandma used to make these all the time. As soon as I was married and on my own it's one of the first recipes I asked for. Of course, no matter how many times I've watched her make them they just never quite tasted as delicious as hers did. Even though I followed the recipe exact! Why does that happen?
These artichokes are not only easy but they are absolutely delicious. One of my favorite meals of all time. And I'm happy to say that all of my kids love it. Even my little one who hardly eats anything that isn't a hot dog or an apple.
There are a lot of different types of stuffed artichokes I've seen. Stuffed with different meats, breading, and chopped veggies. You can actually stuff them with anything you want but for my Grandma's sake, I always stick to only breadcrumbs. And because of the flavor of these leafy little angels, you don't need anything else!
What you'll need:
Fresh artichokes (I usually make 6)
3 cups Italian style bread crumbs
2 T. grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
oil
Cut the stems off the artichokes. You have to make them as level as possible because they're going to have to stand upright in the pot.
Next you're going to take a scissor and cut the points of the leaves off. Remove any dead or split leaves from the bottom. (Be prepared that you'll probably be finding tiny little green points around your kitchen for days. I've tried everything to make sure they land in one spot and one or two always seem to get away from me!)
Take a sharp knife and cut off the very top of the artichoke as well. They should look like the picture below when you're all finished.
In a bowl, mix together 3 c.breadcrumbs, 2 T. parmesan cheese, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and 1 tsp. of. garlic powder.
Time to stuff these bad boys!
I find that if you place the artichoke inside the bowl while you stuff it, you'll minimize a whole ton of mess and a whole ton of breadcrumbs being stuck to the bottoms of your feet, too.
Spread the leaves one by one, sprinkling your bread crumb mixture inside. You can stuff them as much or as little as you want.
When they're all stuffed, place them in a pot. They can be touching or not. It doesn't effect the cooking time or how it will turn out. I was able to fit 5 in a big pot and had to boil one in a small sauce pan on it's own. (He was the black sheep of the bunch).
Fill your pot with water, about half way up the artichokes. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt.
Cover and bring to a boil. Lower to about medium-high heat, and cook about 2-2 1/2 hours, checking periodically if you have to add in some water. The bottom half of the artichokes should always be in water. Larger artichokes might take a little longer.
To test if they're done cooking, pick a leave off from around the top side of the artichoke. If it comes out easily, they're done. You don't want to take one from the bottom since they'll cook slightly faster because they're submerged in water. And you have to taste it to make sure the leaves aren't hard. Just one! (Good luck with that).
To eat the artichoke (if you don't know how), scrape the leaf with your teeth removing all the stuffing and the "meaty" part of the leaf.
Some people serve them as an appetizer but I serve them for dinner. I make my family's favorite pasta and take the left over "sauce" from the artichoke pot and pour it on top. I know, it sounds REALLY strange but just try it. I promise you, you'll love it.
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Full Recipe:
- 4 artichokes (I usually make 6)
- 3 cups Italian style bread crumbs
- 2 T. grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- oil
Cut the stems off the artichokes. Make them as level as possible because they're going to have to stand upright in a stock pot. Trim the points off of the leaves and remove any bottom leaf that is split or rotten. Cut the top of the artichoke off. Rinse them off to make sure you clean off any dirt or clippings.
In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Starting from the bottom leaves, open up each leaf and sprinkle your breadcrumb mixture inside. Stuff the top as well.
Place the artichokes in a large pot and cover with water half way up the artichoke. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with some salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-high and cook for about 2 hours. Check water often and add as needed, making sure the bottom half is always submerged in water.
The artichoke is ready when you can remove a top side leaf with ease.
Enjoy!
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