Long long ago, I posted my first and only stuffed artichoke recipe on this little old blog of mine. When I shared it, I felt that I let you all in on such a secret family recipe, and I featured my mama’s fail proof preparation with parmesan, breadcrumbs and olive oil. This filling is something that I’ve made time and time again, but when I made this mushroom and bacon topping of for fish last week, a light bulb went off in my head. I decided to jazz it up these artichokes with crispy bacon, red onion and mushrooms, and let me tell you, I think I stumbled on something amazing here guys!
If you’ve never made fresh stuffed artichokes, do not be scared, they’re super easy and impressive (a little date night side dish for your vegetarian lover perhaps?!) Feel free to omit the bacon to make this veg-friendly or even change up the cheese – I think a big hunk of fresh mozzarella tucked inside the artichoke would be delish too. For a tutorial on how to clean and prepare artichokes, click here!
- 2 artichokes, halved and cleaned
- ¼ lb bacon, cubed
- 1 (8oz) pack of cremini mushrooms, diced
- ½ red onion, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- ½ c breadcrumbs
- 2 handfuls parmesan cheese
- 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- In a frying pan, cook the bacon on medium heat until crispy. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and toss in the onion. Cook onion for 5 minutes on medium and then throw in the diced mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes then finish with salt and pepper and set aside.
- In a bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, evoo and a dash of salt and pepper. Combine the breadcrumb mixture with the bacon and mushrooms until fully incorporated.
- Drizzle each artichoke halve with evoo and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Then, with a tablespoon, stuff the breadcrumb/bacon mixture into the the cavities of each artichoke halve. Top with additional parmesan cheese and place in a pan.
- Line the pan with about an inch of water and cover and cook on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Keep an eye on the pan to make sure there's always water because the steam will cook the artichokes through. They are done when the outer leaves are tender.
I love how Spotify helps me to discover artists based on the music and genres I listen to. Because of this, I discovered Kacey Musgraves album yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. She’s got a relaxed country feel that is perfect for a morning of settling into work.
