These are perfect for holiday dinners. My whole family adores them.
Yield: Serves 4
4 medium artichokes
1 lemon, cut in half
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup Progresso™ plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
Remove any discolored leaves from artichokes; trim stems even with base. Cutting straight across, cut 1 inch from tops and discard tops. With kitchen scissors, cut tips off leaves. Rinse artichokes with cold water.
Place steamer basket in 1/2 inch water in large saucepan or Dutch oven (water should not touch bottom of basket). Place artichokes in steamer basket. Squeeze lemon over artichokes and add lemon halves to basket. Cover tightly; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; steam about 30 minutes or until bottoms are tender when pierced with fork. Remove artichokes from basket; cool 15 minutes.
Heat oven to 400°F. In small skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic in oil, stirring frequently, until tender. In small bowl, stir together onion mixture, butter, bread crumbs, cheese, oregano and basil until well blended.
Remove center leaves and choke from each artichoke. Spoon filling into center of artichoke and a few of the side leaves. Place on cookie sheet.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes before serving.
